14. Envelopes and Sleeves for Films and Prints

485 The Permanence and Care of Color Photographs Chapter 14 14. Envelopes and Sleeves for Films and Prints Envelopes, sleeves, and other enclosures for long-term Recommendations storage of photographs must meet three fundamental requirements: Enclosure Materials: 1. The design of an enclosure — and the surface charac- • Recommended: Uncoated transparent polyester teristics of the materials used to make it — must not (e.g., DuPont Mylar D and ICI Melinex 516). Also cause scratches and abrasion to films and prints during suitable are uncoated polypropylene (e.g., Her- cules T500 film) and certain nonbuffered 100% storage and use. This requirement is not met by most cotton fiber papers (e.g., Atlantis Silversafe Pho- currently available photographic enclosures because it tostore). Probably satisfactory is high-density is necessary to slide films and prints against the enclo- polyethylene (recommended as the best avail- sure material during insertion and removal. able low-cost material for amateur photofinishing applications). 2. Materials and adhesives used to make the enclosures must not be hygroscopic (attracting moisture from the • Should be avoided: Low-density polyethylene surrounding air), nor contain any chemicals that could (e.g., Print File, Vue-All, and Clear File notebook cause, or contribute to, fading or staining of black-and- pages and sleeves); cellulose acetate (e.g., Kodak white or color photographs during the intended storage Transparent Sleeves); polyvinyl chloride [PVC] period. In museum collections, most photographs will (e.g., 20th Century Plastics vinyl notebook pages); be kept for hundreds or thousands of years. Unstable surface-treated polypropylene (believed acceptable for slide pages, however); conventional glass- materials, including poor-quality paper, glassine, and ine; acid-free glassine; kraft paper and most other polyvinyl chloride (PVC), may over the years produce common types of paper; matte polyester (e.g., harmful decomposition products, stick to emulsions, DuPont Mylar EB-11); and synthetic paper-like exude gooey plasticizers, or cause other types of dam- materials (e.g., DuPont Tyvek). age to photographs. Enclosure Design: 3. To provide adequate physical protection during the life • Recommended: Top-flap sleeves (preferably made of a photograph, the materials used to make an enclo- of uncoated transparent polyester; as a second sure must retain sufficient physical strength and tear choice, uncoated polypropylene is probably ac- resistance for as many years as the photograph inside ceptable). These sleeves allow films and prints is to be kept. Because a photograph is likely to be to be inserted and removed without sliding against retained even after the image has significantly deterio- the enclosure surfaces, thus avoiding scratches rated, the enclosure material should have aging char- (available from Talas Inc. and Light Impressions). acteristics which are at least as good as the photograph’s paper or plastic support material. • Acceptable: High-density polyethylene sleeves of the types often used in amateur photofinishing The requirements for enclosure materials suggest that (commonly referred to as “sleeving material”). the relatively few plastics and high-quality nonbuffered pa- This document originated at <www.wilhelm-research.com> on June 6, 2003 under file name: <HW_Book_14_of_20_HiRes_v1.pdf> Although they require that negatives slide against pers suitable for making print and film bases logically could the plastic surfaces during insertion and removal, high-density polyethylene sleeves appear to have also be used to make filing enclosures. If the material is minimal tendency to cause scratches and have nonreactive and stable enough to be used as a photographic otherwise proven to be generally satisfactory for support material, it should be equally satisfactory as an applications that require low-cost enclosures. enclosure material. When storing comparatively unstable films, such as color • For additional protection: All sleeved films and negatives made with Kodak Kodacolor II and Vericolor II, prints, either singly or in groups, should be stored pre-1989 Agfacolor XRS and XRG, and pre-1992 3M in high-quality, top-flap paper envelopes for pro- ScotchColor films (which are significantly less stable in tection from dust and physical damage, and to dark storage than current Kodak Vericolor III and 400, allow marking with rubber stamps, pens, etc. Ektar, and Kodak Gold Plus; Fujicolor Super HG, Super G, Reala, and Fujicolor Professional 400 and 160; and Konica Super SR, GX, Super DD, and XG films), the permanence Envelopes and Sleeves for Films and Prints Chapter 14 486 1979 Thomas Beecher, a staff member at the Library of Congress in Washington, D.C., and Beverly W. Brannan, curator of documentary photography in the Prints and Photographs Division of the library, examine color transparencies in the Look Magazine collection. The Look collection was donated to the library after the magazine ceased publication in 1971. The transparencies and negatives are still in their original, less-than-ideal sleeves and envelopes, although the films likely will be put in new, higher-quality enclosures at some point in the future. Films and prints in most institutional and private collections, however, are destined to remain in their original enclosures for as long as they are kept. To avoid cumulative damage to photographs caused by unsuitable filing materials, it is essential to use safe and long-lasting enclosures right at the outset. (Since this photograph was taken in 1979, the color transparencies in the Look collection have been moved to the library’s cold storage facility in nearby Landover, Maryland.) requirements for the enclosure material are in general material should not in any way contribute to, or speed up, less stringent than they are for the longer-lasting color the deterioration of the image or of the base material. As a films — and, of course, for black-and-white negatives. practical matter, most photographers and collecting insti- Likewise, enclosures for older, less stable color prints tutions will want to use the same type of enclosure for such as those made with Ektacolor 37 RC and 74 RC paper, everything in their collections — and this means that only need not be of the same high quality as is required for the very best, most stable enclosures will suffice. storage of the much longer lasting Konica Color, Ekta- This document originated at <www.wilhelm-research.com> on June 6, 2003 under file name: <HW_Book_14_of_20_HiRes_v1.pdf> color, Agfacolor, and Fujicolor papers introduced during Avoiding Scratches and Other Damage 1984–1985, or for storage of the most stable types of prints, Caused by Enclosures including Ilford Ilfochrome (called Cibachrome, 1963–1991), Kodak Dye Transfer, and Fuji Dyecolor color prints, and A fundamental requirement in the design of any photo- black-and-white prints, which, when kept in the dark, have graphic enclosure is that a film or print can be inserted or the potential to remain in good condition for many hun- removed without sliding it against the surfaces of the en- dreds and perhaps even thousands of years. UltraStable closure material. Sliding a negative in and out of an enclo- Permanent Color prints and Polaroid Permanent-Color pig- sure will, over time, almost certainly result in scratches; ment prints, which are extremely stable both on display the longer a negative or color transparency is kept — or and in dark storage, of course also require very long-last- the more valuable it is — the more likely it is that it will be ing storage enclosures. repeatedly accessed and printed. The more it is handled, But regardless of how good or poor the inherent image the more likely it is to be scratched or otherwise physically stability of a particular film or print may be, the enclosure damaged. 487 The Permanence and Care of Color Photographs Chapter 14 As any photographer knows who has laboriously attempted sleeves. When made of high-density polyethylene (low- to retouch an enlargement printed from a scratched 35mm density polyethylene is not recommended), the sleeves negative, every possible precaution should be taken to avoid appear to be reasonably satisfactory if kept in a even minor surface scratches on negatives. Scratches on photofinisher’s envelope, standard paper letter enve- transparencies are especially troublesome because they lope, or other enclosure to prevent contamination with will show up on prints as black lines which must be chemi- dust and dirt. The naturally “slippery” and non-cling- cally bleached before they can be retouched with spotting ing surface of high-density polyethylene is much less dyes — a time-consuming and difficult task. Although the likely to cause scratches on films than most other types enclosure material itself may be soft enough not to scratch of enclosure plastics. High-density polyethylene sleeves delicate gelatin emulsions, particles of dust and grit inevi- are obviously superior to the open-end yellow paper tably become sandwiched between the enclosure and film folders in which negatives are returned to customers surfaces. As film is dragged across even a tiny particle of by Kodalux photofinishing labs; with an entire roll of grit, the emulsion or base can be scratched. Stiff plastic negatives cut to random lengths stuffed into each folder, enclosure materials are particularly prone to cause grit- the Kodak folders offer little protection to individual related scratches. In this author’s experience, PVC enclo- negatives. sures are the most likely to cause scratches on films as they are slid in and out; among plastic materials, high- 2. Plastic sleeve with uncemented top flap. Usually density polyethylene appears to have the least tendency to made of transparent uncoated polyester, polypropylene, cause scratches during use. or cellulose triacetate, this sleeve can be opened like a Charges of static electricity which can develop as a film book to allow the film or print to be lifted out, avoiding or print is inserted and removed from a plastic enclosure the possibility of scratches. Both ends are open and — especially in low-humidity conditions — cause an attrac- adhesives are not used.

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