Photos represent years, even decades of memories — of celebrations and loved ones. No one wants to lose them to wear and tear or damages that may occur from keeping them improperly organized.
Here are some of our most helpful tips that help to keep precious photos organized—both printed and digital copies—so they can be revisited time and again.
1. Get rid of magnetic albums
Let’s start with albums. Now, albums are often the default way to store photographs. But all albums are not made the same way. Neither are they equally efficient in doing their job. In fact, some of them do more harm than good. For example, magnetic photo albums that were so popular from the 60s until the 90s — and can still be seen in many households — are one of the worst offenders. The pages in these albums are covered in an acetate adhesive, which gives off acids that can cause colors to deteriorate, leaves stains, and destroys photos for good over a period of time. So, it’s a wise decision to toss these albums.
2. Invest in a good quality photo album with presentation box
This is really a no-brainer. Keeping a clutter of printed photographs in random boxes is a sure way to lose them, if not damage them permanently. Humidity and dirt are two of the worst enemies of printed photographs, so it’s best to invest in high-quality albums. Even better if you choose ones that come with photo album boxes.
Acrylic, leather, leatherette are all great materials for durable albums. But the key lies in construction and paper quality. Lay flat and flush mount albums are currently the gold standard in albums and offer the best combination of protection and aesthetics in terms of preserving photos.
The archival quality photographic paper used in these albums makes the pages sturdy and guarantees long-term durability. After printing, the album is matched with custom-made expertly handcrafted presentation boxes to create an heirloom album.
This is, by far, the best way to store all types of printed photos. If there are old prints and negatives lying around, it’s advisable to get them restored or reprinted and then, organize them neatly in a premium quality album.
3. Back up digital photos
Digital copies of photos are a step further in preserving them. They serve as backups in case the printed photos are lost or damaged. Professional photographers can also provide high-quality digital copies to their clients through a flash drive. Our albums and presentation boxes with flash drive cases combine the beauty and sophistication of handcrafted albums with the timelessness of digital backups.
As such, these are some of our most in-demand products for our photographer and videographer clients. These album and HDD boxes can be customized in a ton of different ways and so they are perfectly suited to preserve the memories of any occasion.
4. Treat fragile photos with extra care
Old photographs hold a lot of value, not only in terms of sentiments but also from historical perspectives. For particularly fragile photographs or vintage prints, it’s best to digitally restore them, and with additional support using archival quality paper or even mat board before rehousing them in albums. Scanning and creating digital backups of these photos is a preservation step that should not be missed.
Finally, all photos must be grouped properly — according to specific occasions, life events, vacations, etc. — and neatly stored in separate albums. Album Design Store‘s flush mount acrylic album has a glass cover featuring a photo from the collection it holds — a great way to set the theme of the album. Or, you could keep things simple with a text spelling out the event printed or embossed on the cover of our leather photo album.
Leafing through photos are a default way for most of us to recall memories close to the heart, and the quality of photos speak a lot when it comes to reliving those experiences. With these tips, it’s possible to keep precious photos and the stories that they tell last for the longest time possible.