Keep Your Pictures Perfect

Treasured family photographs will last for generations if they are handled properly. Here are some tips on how to preserve your photographs:

• Storage areas should have a relative humidity between 30 and 50 percent and a constant temperature no higher than 70°F. (Basements, attics, and garages are not suitable.)
• To minimize fading, limit exposure to light, including photocopying.
• Keep photographs where pests such as mice, silverfish, and termites can not have access.
• The best containers and albums are either acid-free or of archival quality; cardboard, wood, and plastic containers emit gases that are potentially harmful to photos.
• Use only polypropylene or polyester plastic sleeves; avoid polyethylene.
• Avoid acid-containing or gummed paper folders or envelopes, such as those made from brown kraft paper, which can stain images.
• Do not bind photographs with rubber bands or paper clips, which may cause stains or indentations.
• Handle photographs by the edges and wear white cotton gloves.

A good snapshot stops a moment from running away.
–Eudora Welty, American writer (1909–2001)