Everyone has precious photos they want to protect, but it’s often confusing exactly what precautions are necessary. Well, here at Supercolor Imaging, we consider ourselves Photo Preservation Experts, so let us take you through the three proponents of degradation (moisture, light, and handling) and how to deter them from affecting your photos.
Moisture
First of all, let’s talk about moisture. All of our customers in Laguna Beach should be listening! Obviously humidity is a problem because of your proximity to the water. We can see the detrimental effect living by the ocean can have on wood, paint, and nearly everything else and photos are not an exception. So what can you do?
Solution #1: If you have a lot of pictures that aren’t organized in an album consider throwing them into an air-tight bag to prevent moisture from getting in.
Solution #2: If you only have a few photos that you really want to preserve, consider laminating them. This prevents moisture from getting in and reduces the wear put on a photo from handling.
Light
Prolonged exposure to light can be very destructive to photos. It can fade the color and drain the contrast robbing the picture of life and vibrancy. Thankfully, this is one of the easiest problems to avoid!
Solution #1: Store your photos in a dark place like a closet.
Solution #2: If you're worried about photos that are on display in frames, once again lamination provides the first line of defense.
Handling
One of the most obvious ways you can mark or ruin a photo is by handling it. Whether it's accidently spilling coffee on it or discovering that it has fallen into the hands of a destructive toddler, it's often human negligence that may tarnish a photo.
Solution #1: Never touch your photos. EVER!
Solution #2: If you think Solution #1 is a little bit ridiculous, our close friend lamination can give you a reliable alternative. It protects photos from humidity, wear, and light (to some degree).
The Best Solution is to Digitize Your Photos!
Photos simply won't last forever, like everything else they will eventually degrade. However, if you have your photos scanned you can have them in pristine condition forever.
