Photographic Prints
Traditional & Digital
Traditional photographic prints
Black and white photos generally last longer than color photos, but the right materials will greatly increase their lifespan. Instantly-developing photos start discoloring in only a few years and are not good for use in scrapbooks.
If possible, use copies of photos in your scrapbook and properly store the originals.
Use scrapbook materials that have passed the Photographic Activity Test, including adhesives, page protectors, mounting corners, etc.
It is best to mount a photograph on a page using photograph corners made of polyester, polypropylene or acid-free/lignin-free pH neutral paper. They come in decorative designs and are also good for mounting postcards and similar items.
Do not mount color photos on or next to buffered paper or tissue, or items that have been sprayed with deacidification spray.
Do not adhere stickers to photographs, as this will destroy the emulsion and irreversibly ruin the photo.
Be cautious in cropping photos. While it might make for an attractive page display, it could also destroy important information that could appear in the background of some photos. If you crop a photo with information in the background, use a copy and not the original.
Digital photographic prints
The lifespan of inkjet printouts of digital photos depends on the printing inks and the paper used.
For longer-lasting printouts, use pigment-based printer inks and high quality acid-free/lignin-free/pH neutral paper. Fine art paper with special inkjet receiver coating is a good option. Some manufacturers of photographic printers also make long-lasting paper made specifically for their printers.
Dye diffusion thermal transfer printing, sometimes also called dye sublimation printing, produces high-quality images using heat to vaporize dyes and plant them into specially-coated paper. The process finishes with a clear coating designed to protect the image from damage from handling and to reduce fading.
