In class tonight we went over lots of really good facts about Protecting Your Memorabilia. All of them very true....
Fact 1: Liquids destroy memorabilia ~ I found it quite humorous that the first picture we saw tonight was a can of split coke on a table full of scrapping supplies and photos. We do this in class and at crops all the time without even thinking.
Fact 2: Digital photos are stored on computers. ~ They crash... HAVE BACK UPS!!! (enough said)
Fact 3: Sunlight will eventually diminish photo, negative, layout, and album quality. ~ ahhhh... YUP!!! two of my album covers have faded in the afternoon sun.
Fact 4: Extreme temperatures damage photographs, negatives, layouts, page protectors, and albums. ~ True again! Here in South Carolina, I have noticed that a couple of my album covers are starting to get a few mold spore spots coming on them. We live at the beach, so I know things here are a lot damper.
Fact 5: Although not immediately apparent, fingerprints on photographs, negatives, and layouts become visible over time. ~ GREAT!!! I have really oily fingers.
Fact 6: Handle and store your photos, negatives, and layouts carefully. ~ I learned tonight that it is a good idea to store your negatives separate from your photos.
Fact 7: Not all plastics are alike. ~ okay, so here's a great tip.... "do
not buy materials containing PVC or its cousin polyvinyl acetate
(PVA). Instead, look for acrylic or polyester (polyethylene and
polypropylene) materials. They are chemically stable and will ensure
encapsulation safety for your memorabilia. If you are uncertain of a
product’s composition, you can easily identify PVC by its strong plastic
odor." Guess what plastic I use???? :)
Fact 8: All paper and cardstock found in your local scrapbook store is not necessarily acid-free unless clearly stated. ~ And even then.... you have to be careful. One thing we talked about was checking our paper to see if it is “acid-free” using a pH Testing Pen.
Here are a few facts of my own that I shared with my class...
Fact 9: Newspapers are made of acidic material which can harm your photos. Make a photocopy of your newspaper clippings
Fact 10: If love using metal or acidic items for scrapbooking... Then you might want
to consider using photo duplicates rather than your original photos. So
if corrosion or damage happen, you still have your original photos on
hand. Safeguard your originals. I know because I was shocked to discover that some of the brads on my layouts were turning rusty!
Fact 11: Check to see if lumpy objects are rubbing badly onto the face of your layout.
You might want to make sure that it's not rubbing onto some precious
photos, especially if they are heritage photos. Use duplicate photos because if you are using original
photos, the constant rubbing will harm your photos.
Fact 12: If you don't enjoy doing it, get someone who does to help you. that way things will turn out better in the end.
