| Archival scrapbooking requires careful attention to | | | | Stickers should be judged by the same criteria used |
| using materials that will last a lifetime or longer. | | | | for choosing paper and adhesives. The sticker should |
| Archiving is about making sure that no harm comes to | | | | be acid-free and lignin-free and buffered, and the |
| precious photos by understanding some photo-archival | | | | adhesive should meet the safety guidelines of a good |
| facts. | | | | adhesive. |
| Acid-free does not always mean the product is photo | | | | Sometimes you come across unique treasures from |
| or archival-safe when it comes to archival | | | | the past or an article from a newspaper, a certificate, |
| scrapbooking. One day I finally purchased a special pH | | | | or letter to be included in a layout. Following are some |
| marker that when applied to the objects surface, | | | | safe options for using these items for archival |
| revealed whether the material was really archival safe. | | | | scrapbooking. |
| To my surprise at the time, I discovered some of my | | | | Newspaper articles can be washed to de-acidify the |
| material certainly was not safe, and so since then, I | | | | paper by allowing the article to soak in distilled water in |
| have learned how to mingle the unsafe with the safe | | | | a shallow dish or bowl for 20 minutes. Let paper dry |
| (when I just had to use a piece of material), thus | | | | and store in an acid-free environment. |
| minimizing the chances of harm to my photographs. | | | | For certificates, letters or larger newsprint items, use a |
| The Photographic Activity Test (PAT), developed by | | | | de-acidification spray. Certificates and other |
| the company, Image Permanence Institute, and | | | | documents cannot be washed because they often |
| performed by several manufacturers, predicts or | | | | have ink on them that will run or bleed. Krylon and |
| shows possible interactions between photographic | | | | others have adhesive sprays that can help protect |
| images and the enclosures in which they are stored. If | | | | and adhere the document. |
| a scrapbook product passes the PAT, it only means | | | | Rather than using glue or tape on a valued document, |
| the material is safe to use with photographs, but not | | | | or fiber-based black and white photo, use safe |
| necessarily safe for archival scrapbooking. It is a good | | | | mounting corners. You could also scan the item and |
| idea to make sure the product has also been pH | | | | print it out. Ideally a laser printer is best, but an inkjet |
| tested. Also look for archival products that have the | | | | printer can also be used. |
| CKOK Seal of Approval, as these particular products | | | | Several printers now offer archival ink, but not all |
| have met definite requirements to ensure safe | | | | printers do so. Companies such as Lyson, Bulldog, MIS |
| merchandise. | | | | Associates, Cone Editions, and others have been |
| Tips for Selecting Commonly Used Scrapbooking | | | | providing after-market, pigment based inks for printers |
| Products: | | | | by Iris, Epson and other manufacturers. Epson has |
| Any paper product used should be acid-free and | | | | ownership of their own patented pigment. |
| lignin-free and buffered, which is a process that adds a | | | | Do use the printer/ink/paper combination |
| buffering agent, such as calcium carbonate to the | | | | recommended by the manufacturer. Pigment ink lasts |
| paper, acting as a neutralizer and controlling the pH | | | | longer than dyes. The manufacturer should know his |
| level from changing over time. | | | | product. Check to see if he or she has conducted |
| Different kinds of metal will react in various ways with | | | | longevity testing of their printer inks (for your printer |
| paper ad photographs. It is best to use a coated metal | | | | type) to understand what combinations work for you. |
| and to be cautious of sharp edges that would scratch | | | | A very safe way to handle original photographs is to |
| or otherwise ruin photos. | | | | scan these photos and original documents, and then |
| Only use lead-free paint. Be cautious with | | | | the original documents can be stored in an |
| water-soluble paint as it can fade and also run or bleed | | | | archival-safe photo box or other organizational system. |
| through to other pages. | | | | Also, when handling photos, wash your hands on a |
| Be aware when using natural products, such as | | | | frequent schedule to avoid transferring your natural |
| corkboard, leaves or flowers, that all of these materials | | | | skin oils to the photos. If you are working with unique |
| contain the substance lignin and will discolor your pages | | | | photographs, consider wearing cotton gloves. |
| over time. Take care to use safe methods in | | | | Many methods of archival scrapbooking exist. Learn |
| combining them in archival scrapbooking. | | | | about them as you learn about the art of |
| Use rubber stamp ink that is pigment-based as | | | | scrapbooking. As with all art, there is a wrong way and |
| opposed to dye-based. (Colorbox brand is | | | | a right way to do it well. Remember, it is your choice |
| pigment-based). Not only are dye colors generally less | | | | what you do with your page. Being aware of what the |
| stable over the long run, they are soluble, while pigment | | | | best choices makes for a more successful page as |
| colors are non-soluble. Always powder-emboss the ink | | | | you stretch the boundaries of your own imagination. |
| to prevent the color from fading or changing over time. | | | | |