FAQ
Where should I store my digital photos?
The first answer that comes to mind may seem obvious: on your computer’s hard drive. But that's the wrong answer. A computer hard drive is fine for temporary storage, but your favorite pictures should always be saved somewhere other than the hard drive. If that hard drive fails, your pictures could be lost forever.
Ever-changing technology means storage devices and media popular today may be obsolete in just a few years.
News stories of disasters almost always show a survivor weeping over lost photographs. Often pictures are even mentioned as the most important material possession the family has.
Ensure the future of your photos with proper storage by a professional copy and storage system.
Why should I have my photos stored by a professional service like Chard?
Chard™ is the first to provide the entire service from professional copying through to the storage of those irreplaceable family moments.
At Chard™ we have used the latest technology to develop our own RAID system which is stored in multiple locations to ensure the safety of your precious family memories. Our 4 quadrant system is constantly checked for system failure and if anything is detected it is repaired immediately not only that, our system is constantly being upgraded to the latest of technology so that operating systems never become obsolete.
Why Should I have my photographs copied?
Family pictures are priceless, and often irreplaceable, as survivors of floods, fires, and other disasters will attest. So be sure you have them copied and store them appropriately so they can be past on to future generations. Apart from disasters all photographs fade over time. You will notice in your family photos that photographs taken 20-30 years ago don’t have the same quality that the ones do today, that isn’t because processing techniques have become so much better (although this does play a part) but rather that the images have degraded over time.
What exactly is a Traditional Photograph?
Photographs employ a process in which a medium (negative) which has been coated with various chemicals that react to light is first exposed to a light source to "take" the picture and then is processed using other chemicals that fix and stabilize the image. The negative is then used to create prints on paper that has been coated with even more chemicals.
Why are they At Risk?
Given the number of chemicals involved in their production, it should not be a surprise that no photograph is completely stable. Although it is not noticeable at first, a small amount of sensitivity to light is always present. Photographs can also react rapidly and rarely well in the presence of other chemicals.
All photographs fade over time. Traditionally processed black and white photographic prints may last a century or more but will eventually degrade. Colour photographs, because of the various dyes used to create the colour, are very susceptible to colour change and fading. In particular colour photos that are displayed in frames etc, may experience noticeable colour change after only ten to fifteen years. Instant developed photographs (like Polaroid’s) are also likely to be chemically unstable and as a result fade more quickly. (During WWII due to the scarcity of quality materials, images are deteriorating far more quickly than those which are older.)
What are the major factors effecting the permanence of a photograph?
Many factors influence the permanence of a photograph. Two of the most important are proper storage materials and a safe environment. By controlling these two factors, the deterioration of a photograph collection can be greatly reduced and its longevity greatly enhanced.
What effect can the environment have on a photographic collection?
Various aspects of the environment, such as relative humidity, temperature, air purity, and light, influence the stability of a photograph collection.
Relative humidity is the single most important factor in preserving photographs from chemical deterioration. High relative humidity speeds up detrimental chemical reactions, leading to much of the fading and discoloration visible in photograph collections. Relative humidity should be kept below 50%; ideally it should be 35%. Stable conditions are very important.
What Environments can make these Changes Happen more Readily?
Photographs are vulnerable; acids, mishandling, heat, humidity and bright light.
Because of their chemical nature, photographs also often react negatively to the presence of other chemicals especially acids and glues that are found in some commercially produced photo albums and frames. Even the oils from a person's hands, if left on a photographic print or negative, can eventually cause finger prints to become permanently embedded in the image. Because photographic images are found on light sensitive materials that cannot be made completely stable, bright light is particularly destructive to photographs.
Air purity is particularly crucial in a city environment. Harmful chemicals as well as particulate matter can damage photographs. Ideally, air should be filtered for these materials and dust should be kept to a minimum.
Places that are susceptible to high temperature and humidity, large changes in temperature and humidity are also damaging.
Bright lights and of course sun light that shines directly onto your photographs.
What role do storage materials play in the longevity of a photograph or negative?
Proper storage materials are essential for long-term stability of photographs and negatives. They provide much needed physical support and protection for fragile objects, and at the same time act as a barrier between the photograph and a potentially unstable environment. It is of utmost importance that storage materials be known to be unreactive to the photographic material. Much damage has been done in the past through the use of reactive materials such as acidic ground wood pulp sleeves, rubber bands, paper clips, pressure-sensitive tapes, and poor-quality adhesives such as rubber cement or animal glue.
What type of framing should I use for my photographs?
Conservation framing is the best for keeping photographs in the best possible condition.
What is Conservation Framing?
Conservation framing is the use of the highest quality rag material to surround the artwork. Special techniques and procedures are used to protect the work with regards to mounting. It is a process that makes sure the artwork's integrity is never compromised.
When should Conservation Framing be used?
While conservation framing is generally used for paper borne art and documents of high monetary value, conservation framing should be used anytime a high degree of protection and preservation is desired for a framed piece. Examples would be historical documents, present day as well as antique photographs, and mementos.
What does Conservation Framing do?
Everything will deteriorate given time and exposure to the environment. Conservation framing is designed to minimize deterioration by the environment and to avoid contributory deterioration by the materials that surround the artwork.
Some of the factors of this deterioration are:
Humidity and Temperature
High temperature and humidity levels can accelerate the growth of mold inside the frame. Mold is often seen as a ghostly image on the glazing material.
Artwork should be spaced from the glazing materials to provide an air space to prevent the condensation of moisture onto the paper and allow a small air space for the inside frame atmosphere to adjust for increased levels of moisture in the air. Spacing is achieved by the use of a mat or spacer between the glazing and the artwork. Sudden changes of temperature and humidity should be avoided as heavy condensation may wet and damage the artwork.
Foxing is red or brown spots that appear on the surface of the paper. While the exact cause of foxing is not totally understood, it appears to accelerate under high temperature and humidity conditions. Atmospheric pollution or dirt or dust may combine with moisture in the air to form harmful acids that will attack the artwork.
Light
The effect of light on art is insidious and not readily apparent. Ultraviolet rays damage artwork in two ways. Strong fluorescent lighting or direct sunlight may fade colour. Paper also tends to absorb high-energy photons which cause a chemical reaction in the paper, breaking it down and causing it to turn brittle. The effects of light on materials can be reduced by the use of glazing that filters out harmful ultraviolet rays.
How does Conservation Framing work?
The theory behind conservation framing is to enclose the item in a non-hostile environment and to give it protection from the general environment. The general components of a conservation-framing job consist of the frame, the glazing, the mat or spacer, the backing and the hinging. Mats, backing, hinging and glazing must consist of 100% acid free material of conservation quality. Hinging should be of acid free materials with a water-based activated adhesive. Under no circumstances should pressure-sensitive adhesives be used on paper as these adhesives change character over time and the adhesive is known to migrate into the paper.
Matting
The primary purpose of matting is to separate the artwork from the glass. Since paper expands and contracts with temperature and humidity changes, the mat allows room for that inside the frame. Mats should also enhance the beauty of the artwork. They should create, if you will, a funnel along which your eye is drawn to the image.
What are the relative advantages and disadvantages of using paper enclosures to protect photographic materials?
Paper enclosures are opaque, protecting the photograph from light. However, this makes viewing difficult; since the photograph must be removed from the enclosure before it can be viewed. This increases handling and subsequent abrasion and fingerprinting of the image. Paper enclosures are porous, protecting the photograph from the accumulation of moisture and detrimental gases. This is especially important for cellulose nitrate and early safety film negatives, since the gases generated by the deterioration of these support materials are harmful to photographic materials.
Paper enclosures are available in buffered and non-buffered stock; both should be of archival quality and non-acidic. Buffered storage enclosures are not recommended for colour images, cyanotypes, or albumen prints. They are recommended for cellulose nitrate and early safety film negatives, brittle prints and prints on brittle acidic mounts. Paper enclosures should not be made of Kraft or glassine paper as the impurities in these materials will cause deterioration of the photograph. The cardboard boxes used by retail outlets to package photographic materials should also be avoided.
Should I store my photos in an album?
The soundest advice regarding memory books is that you avoid them. Storing family history material separately is almost always better in the long run than trying to group the material together in a single volume. However, storing images together in an album is a most practical way to enjoy your photographs, if you would like to create a memory book some practical suggestions include:
Do not use scrapbooks or photo albums found in department or discount stores. Rather purchase photo albums and memory books from suppliers that sell archival quality products.
Do not use glue. Although a few archival quality (non-acidic, non-staining) glues are sold, there is no consistent labeling that tells the average consumer what mix of chemicals are contained in glue, nor can past tests of commercial glues be relied on since manufacturers are known to change their formulas without warning. Rather purchase chemically inert, photo holders and insert items in these. These often come in sheets which have a variety of pocket sizes and are designed for three ring binder.
Can I have copies made at a local store that does photos?
Copying old photos for archival purposes is not like making holiday snapshots or scanning something into your computer. All copies introduce some degradation; even the most professionally trained technicians with the most expensive of equipment will admit that some photos are can be very difficult to copy, especially some of the older papers that employed surfaces that were design to make it next to impossible to copy and of course by its very nature a copy is never as good as the original.
Do not take your treasured photos to a place that does quick printing or mainly colour work. Ask if they do ARCHIVAL photography using pigments not dyes. If they do not know what you are talking about, look for someone else. (Many professionals and professional labs still use dyes rather than pigments)
Can I copy them myself?
The short answer is yes.
See Do-it-Yourself |
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