5 methods for SAFELY composing on Photographs & Snapshots
(and EVERYTHING ELSE!)
By after a few easy “rules” (don’t usage ink that is regular / don’t write in the heart of your photographs / etc.), and once you understand exactly exactly what the greatest forms of pencils & markers are for YOUR specific requirements (regular number 2 pencils / Stabilio-All Pencils / etc.), you’ll be entirely ready for PROPERLY writing on photographs, snapshots, and all kinds kinds of archival sleeves & enclosures!
Writing on Photographs
Tip # 1: First, W cap never to DO
It’s a JUNGLE on the market!
Old photos & snapshots currently have adequate to cope with with regards to long-lasting success (being kept in shoeboxes in attics
or basements, basic neglect, etc.), so DON’T threaten them any more by composing to them with all the INCORRECT pens & markers!
(Please click the image to learn more.)
Documenting your private photographs & snapshots is an step that is important preserving your family’s history. Once you’ve sorted throughout your image archive, you might want to label a few of important information to your photographs such as for instance names, times, places and such to help keep monitoring of your cherished memories.
You can’t, however, utilize simply any pen that is old marker on the photographs (see pix above), as making use of the “wrong” kind of pen or marker can really HARM your photographs & snapshots!
Yeah, NEVER utilize a pen! The inks can smear, as well as usually have non-archival natural oils and solvents inside them that will bleed until the front side!
(Please click on any image to see our video that is short on Pencils.)
You can find, in reality, a zillion ways that are“wrong of marking your materials, a number of which could completely harm and sometimes even destroy old photographs along with other products in your household archive or collection.
We only at Archival practices echo the advice of museum specialists & collections specialists from about the planet in advising one to NEVER make use of standard permanent markers, low priced pencils, highlighters and such whenever marking your materials.
Just Exactly What IS our advice?
If you’d like to mark your photographs, negatives, polypropylene or polyester sleeves , household items or collectibles, ALWAYS make use of the RIGHT types of pencil or marker, as described below.
Writing on Photographs
Suggestion #2: Work With a Pencil!
Pro archivists will recommend using a often soft # 2 pencil regarding the straight back of photographic images which can be “fiber-based.”
“Fiber-based” just ensures that the picture had been printed on photographic paper and never the more recent plastic- or resin-backed forms of color photographs you typically get in more contemporary family members picture archives (and BTW, pencils can not be used on images which are synthetic- or resin-backed because they simply don’t work with that kind of surface).
Can’t read it since it’s too small (look at red field on the best)?
Good!
“Less is much more,” while you don’t desire to impinge on your own photographs—even the backs—too awfully much.
Two reasons that expert archivists suggest making use of a normal # 2 pencil is the fact that 1.) it really is “reversible” in that it could frequently easily be erased, and 2.) pencil lead is reasonably inert, with none of this gunk that is oily makes up the ink in lots of kinds of pencils.
This gunk (a highly-scientific term utilized by expert conservators—just kidding) in pen ink often contains goofy (another highly-technical term) natural natural oils, solvents along with other nasty stuff can bleed, smear, contaminate the image you’re writing in, and/or move onto other things it really is in touch with. Pen and marker ink is additionally usually “non-reversible” (it can’t easily be erased), which conservators frown upon (and you also should too!).
Neither of those possible ink dangers is an issue when making use of a pencil!
Helpful Hint: no real matter what archivally-safe pencils or markers you are doing usage, always work with a clean, difficult area and apply a LIGHT TOUCH whenever composing in order to prevent “pressure transfer,” which may cause anything you are composing become visible from the image side. THE EDGES of your images (see pix above)—not in the middle—just to be safe in a similar vein, it is also always best to write NEAR!
Writing on Photographs
Suggestion #3: Use a Stabilo-All Pencil
Stabilo-All Pencils are a good all-around option you to write clearly & legibly on the backs of photographs or the edges of film negatives / on polypropylene or polyester sleeves / and on glass, metal, or paper surfaces as they will allow. They truly are water dissolvable and will be cleaned away from smooth areas by having a moist fabric, or effortlessly erased when applied to paper.
therefore, simply how come Stabilo Pencils also come in THREE VARIOUS colors…?
…because they’ll arrive on darker mounts & record album pages, and may be employed to accent specific information.
(Please click on either image to find out more.)
Stabilo-All Pencils can be obtained from Archival practices in 3 various colors as well as in 4 package that is convenient
• 6-Pack of Ebony / White / & Red Stabilo Pencils (2 of every color)
• 12-Pack of Black Stabilo Pencils
• 12-Pack of White Stabilo Pencils
• 12-Pack of Red Stabilo Pencils
keep in mind that pix through the top of the web log? Yeah, now it is surrounded because of the RIGHT pencils, including
a white Pencil that is stabilo-All that up quite nicely from the dark-colored straight back for this photograph’s mount.
(Please click on either image to learn more.)
A bit tricky as they usually all have a polyethylene-coated surface as mentioned, standard #2 graphite pencils work well on paper photos but not on plastic-coated contemporary photographs, which makes writing on the backs of these newer photos.
Regular pencils will even maybe maybe not focus on polyester or polypropylene sleeves, which you might desire to used to protect your photographs or snapshots (see pix below).
Both in among these situations Stabilo-All Pencils come in quite handy!
Stabilo-All Pencils WILL compose in the straight back of plastic-coated contemporary pictures & snapshots
(bottom center), and on archival sleeves used to accommodate & protect your pictures (m /> (Please go through the image to learn more about museum-quality sleeves.)
Therefore if you’re interested in a solution that is easy composing regarding the backs of one’s pictures and for marking negatives or archival sleeves, think Stabilo-All Pencils!
Writing on Photographs
Suggestion #4: Use the RIGHT Permanent Markers
Yeah…um…NO!
Another simple yet effective solution to label your polyethylene-coated photographs & archival sleeves is to utilize waterproof Lumocolor Permanent Markers and TechLiner Drawing Markers, that are ideal for properly marking a number of materials and areas (see pix below).
Because these pencils function top-quality ink that is acid-free will likely not bleed through and harm your photographs. MAKE SURE, nevertheless, to check the pens’ drying time from the surface that is intended stacking your photographs or placing them into 3-ring Print Pages, acid-free envelopes, archival sleeves, or other enclosures, as ink that is still damp may smear.
Yeah, now THAT’S a lot more like it. I’m certain even Aunt Mildred would approve (but only when you compose regarding the relative BACK of her pix!).
(Please go through the image to learn more.)
The Lumocolor Permanent Marker comes with a neutral-scent ink that is waterproof, smudge-proof, and it is safe to utilize on CD/DVDs, plastics, and all types of of types of other areas. These markers will compose on plastic-backed photographs, as well as on polyester / polypropylene / & polyethylene bags and sleeves, in addition to gloss-coated documents.
The TechLiner Drawing Marker features an acid-free, free-flowing ink that is ideal for usage in some recoverable format areas. This ink is developed with permanent, waterproof pigments. Drying time will change according to paper area and, as previously mentioned, we suggest which you test drive it for drying time and such in front of deploying it on glossy paper areas. This marker can be acquired being a set that is three-pen line widths of 0.1 / 0.3 / 0.5.
Writing on Photographs
Suggestion number 5: Don’t Really Write On Your Own Photographs AFTER ALL!
Our new Caption Pocket 4?6 Photo Pages each have detachable acid-free insert on which you are able to compose information that is important. You may also print
down info on acid-free Permalife Paper from the comfort of your computer or laptop printer, and trim the paper then towards the measurements regarding the insert and use that rather.
(Please click on either image to find out more.)
As being a last tip, there are many methods to recognize the whom / what / where / when of one’s photographs & snapshots (and other things you’ve got in your archive or collection!) WITHOUT EVER WRITING IN IT AFTER ALL!
Ac />of photographs & snapshots, and you will compose on or label them any real method you’d like!
(Please click for each image to find out more.)
an amount of our snapshot kits come with either acid-free All Purpose Index Cards (see pix above) and/or with acid-free 4?6 Archive Envelopes (see pix below), and each gives you area to write whatever information safely you will need (but utilize one of several SECURE pencils or markers described above anyhow!).
Helpful Hint: when writing on envelopes, sleeves or any other enclosures, ALWAYS compose your details BEFORE you put your photographs or items within the envelope / enclosure. This may assist in preventing transfer that is“pressure of whatever you’re writing from perhaps damaging your material.
4?6 Archive Envelopes can be obtained individually so when area of the 4?6 Archive 900 Kit.
Each envelope provides you with the chance to include a great deal of identification & organizational information.
(Please go through the image to find out more.)
Exactly the same is true for acid-free File Folders (see pix below), Negative File Folders, and all sorts of of the various kinds of sleeves along with other enclosures you can make use of to archivally keep your photographs & snapshots (and simply about ANYTHING ELSE in your loved ones archive or collection!).
Ac />which will come in a true wide range of colors to fit your preferences and decoration.
(Please click for each image to find out more.)
Therefore, there you have it—all the ways you can write on your SAFELY photographs / snapshots / sleeves & enclosures / and simply about OTHER THINGS in your collection or archive their website!
And when you have got still have questions, please don’t hesitate to make contact with us. We’re always right here to respond to each your archival concerns!
“Hey, Archival Practices? Yeah, i wish to draw all around the walls but can’t find my package of crayons. Are you able to please deliver me personally some of these archivally-safe permanent markers you had been speaing frankly about, as I’m mom that is sure Dad will require my ‘artwork’ to endure a lifetime.”
Call Us
You like more information on any of our museum-quality archival storage and presentation materials, please contact us here at Archival Methods if you have any additional questions on preserving your old photos and anything else in your collection, or would. We’re constantly here to support any archiving, storage space, or presentation concerns you may have.
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