485 h emnneadCr fClrPoorpsChapter14 The PermanenceandCareofColorPhotographs 14. • • • Enclosure Design: • • Enclosure Materials: Recommended: Recommended: For additionalprotection: applications thatrequirelow-costenclosures. otherwise proventobegenerallysatisfactoryfor minimal tendencytocausescratchesandhave high-density polyethylenesleevesappeartohave the plasticsurfacesduringinsertionandremoval, Although theyrequirethatnegativesslideagainst (commonly referredtoas“sleevingmaterial”). of thetypesoftenusedinamateurphotofinishing (available fromTalasInc.andLightImpressions). the enclosuresurfaces,thusavoidingscratches to beinsertedandremovedwithoutslidingagainst ceptable). Thesesleevesallowfilmsandprints choice, uncoatedpolypropyleneisprobablyac- of uncoatedtransparentpolyester;asasecond applications). able low-costmaterialforamateurphotofinishing polyethylene (recommendedasthebestavail- tostore). Probablysatisfactoryishigh-density cotton fiberpapers(e.g.,AtlantisSilversafePho- cules T500film)andcertainnonbuffered100% suitable areuncoatedpolypropylene(e.g.,Her- (e.g., DuPontMylarDandICIMelinex516).Also materials (e.g.,DuPontTyvek). DuPont MylarEB-11);andsyntheticpaper-like common typesofpaper;mattepolyester(e.g., ine; acid-freeglassine;kraftpaperandmostother able forslidepages,however);conventionalglass- surface-treated polypropylene(believedaccept- (e.g., 20thCenturyPlasticsvinylnotebookpages); Transparent Sleeves);polyvinylchloride[PVC] pages andsleeves);celluloseacetate(e.g.,Kodak (e.g., PrintFile,Vue-All,andClearFilenotebook allow markingwithrubberstamps, pens,etc. tection fromdustandphysical damage,andto in high-quality,top-flappaper envelopesforpro- prints, eithersinglyoringroups, shouldbestored Acceptable: Should beavoided: Envelopes andSleevesforFilmsPrints Recommendations High-densitypolyethylenesleeves Top-flapsleeves(preferablymade Uncoatedtransparentpolyester Low-densitypolyethylene Allsleevedfilmsand quirements: storage ofphotographsmustmeetthreefundamentalre- Super SR,GX, SuperDD,andXGfilms),the permanence Reala, andFujicolorProfessional 400and160;Konica Ektar, andKodakGoldPlus; FujicolorSuperHG,G, dark storagethancurrent Kodak VericolorIIIand400, ScotchColor films(whichare significantlylessstablein pre-1989 AgfacolorXRSand XRG,andpre-19923M negatives madewithKodak Kodacolor IIandVericolorII, enclosure material. support material,itshouldbeequallysatisfactoryasan nonreactive andstableenoughtobeusedasaphotographic also beusedtomakefilingenclosures.Ifthematerial is pers suitableformakingprintandfilmbaseslogicallycould the relativelyfewplasticsandhigh-qualitynonbufferedpa- .Toprovideadequatephysicalprotectionduringthelife 3. Materialsandadhesivesusedtomaketheenclosures 2. Thedesignofanenclosure—andthesurfacecharac- 1. Envelopes, sleeves,andotherenclosuresforlong-term When storingcomparativelyunstablefilms,suchascolor The requirementsforenclosurematerialssuggestthat paper orplasticsupportmaterial. acteristics whichareatleastasgoodthephotograph’s rated, theenclosurematerialshouldhaveagingchar- retained evenaftertheimagehassignificantlydeterio- is tobekept.Becauseaphotographlikely resistance forasmanyyearsthephotographinside sure mustretainsufficientphysicalstrengthandtear of aphotograph,thematerialsusedtomakeanenclo- age tophotographs. exude gooeyplasticizers,orcauseothertypesofdam- products, sticktoemulsions, decomposition harmful polyvinyl chloride(PVC),mayovertheyearsproduce materials, includingpoor-qualitypaper,glassine,and be keptforhundredsorthousandsofyears.Unstable period. Inmuseumcollections,mostphotographswill white orcolorphotographsduringtheintendedstorage cause, orcontributeto,fadingstainingofblack-and- surrounding air),norcontainanychemicalsthatcould must notbehygroscopic(attractingmoisturefromthe during insertionandremoval. sure material is necessarytoslidefilmsandprintsagainsttheenclo- currently availablephotographicenclosuresbecauseit storage anduse.Thisrequirementisnotmetbymost cause scratchesandabrasiontofilmsprintsduring teristics ofthematerialsusedtomakeit—mustnot

This document originated at on June 6, 2003 under file name: neoe n lee o im n rnsChapter14 Envelopes andSleevesforFilmsPrints stability ofaparticular filmorprintmaybe, theenclosure ing storageenclosures. and indarkstorage,ofcourse alsorequireverylong-last- ment prints,whichareextremely stablebothondisplay Permanent ColorprintsandPolaroid Permanent-Colorpig- dreds andperhapseventhousands ofyears.UltraStable the potentialtoremainingoodconditionformanyhun- black-and-white prints,which,whenkeptinthedark,have Kodak DyeTransfer,andFujiDyecolorcolorprints, including IlfordIlfochrome(calledCibachrome,1963–1991), 1984–1985, orforstorageofthemoststabletypesprints, color, Agfacolor,andFujicolorpapersintroducedduring storage ofthemuchlongerlastingKonicaColor,Ekta- need notbeofthesamehighqualityasisrequiredfor such asthosemadewithEktacolor37RCand74paper, films —and,ofcourse,forblack-and-whitenegatives. less stringentthantheyareforthelonger-lastingcolor requirements fortheenclosurematerialareingeneral But regardlessofhowgood or poortheinherentimage Likewise, enclosuresforolder,lessstablecolorprints the library’scoldstoragefacilityinnearbyLandover,Maryland.) the outset.(Sincethisphotographwastakenin1979,colortransparencies damage tophotographscausedbyunsuitablefilingmaterials,itisessentialusesafeandlong-lastingenclosuresrightat collections, however,aredestinedtoremainintheiroriginalenclosuresforaslongtheykept.Toavoidcumulative be putinnew,higher-qualityenclosuresatsomepointthefuture.Filmsandprintsmostinstitutionalprivate transparencies andnegativesarestillintheiroriginal,less-than-idealsleevesenvelopes,althoughthefilmslikelywill Magazine documentary photographyinthePrintsandPhotographsDivisionoflibrary,examinecolortransparencies Thomas Beecher,astaffmemberattheLibraryofCongressinWashington,D.C.,andBeverlyW.Brannan,curator collection.The Look collectionwasdonatedtothelibraryaftermagazineceasedpublicationin1971.The damaged. the morelikelyitistobescratched orotherwisephysically repeatedly accessedandprinted. Themoreitishandled, the morevaluableitis— morelikelyitisthatwillbe the longeranegativeorcolor transparencyiskept—or sure will,overtime,almost certainly resultinscratches; closure material.Slidinganegative inandoutofanenclo- removed withoutslidingitagainstthesurfacesofen- graphic enclosureisthatafilmorprintcanbeinserted the verybest,moststableenclosureswillsuffice. everything intheircollections—andthismeansthatonly tutions willwanttousethesametypeofenclosurefor practical matter,mostphotographersandcollectinginsti- the deteriorationofimageorbasematerial.As a material shouldnotinanywaycontributeto,orspeedup, Caused byEnclosures Avoiding ScratchesandOtherDamage A fundamentalrequirementinthedesignofanyphoto- Look collectionhavebeenmovedto Look

1979 486

This document originated at on June 6, 2003 under file name: 487 Chapter 18, sion ofthepracticalaspectstheseproductsisfoundin make 35mmslidepagesisincludedinthischapter,discus- mation onPVC,polypropylene,andotherplasticsusedto and printsarediscussedinthischapter.Althoughinfor- the market. velopes, sleeves,andnotebookfilingpagescurrentlyon ment aloneeliminatesfromconsiderationmostoftheen- touching theenclosurematerial.Thisnon-slidingrequire- like abook,allowingfilmorprinttobeliftedoutwithout hood ofscratches. tion betweenthefilmandenclosure,increasinglikeli- — especiallyinlow-humidityconditionscauseanattrac- or printisinsertedandremovedfromaplasticenclosure cause scratchesduringuse. density polyethyleneappearstohavetheleasttendency they areslidinandout;amongplasticmaterials,high- sures arethemostlikelytocausescratchesonfilmsas related scratches.Inthisauthor’sexperience,PVCenclo- enclosure materialsareparticularlypronetocausegrit- grit, theemulsionorbasecanbescratched.Stiffplastic surfaces. Asfilmisdraggedacrossevenatinyparticleof tably becomesandwichedbetweentheenclosureandfilm delicate gelatinemulsions,particlesofdustandgritinevi- enclosure materialitselfmaybesoftenoughnottoscratch dyes —atime-consuminganddifficulttask.Althoughthe cally bleachedbeforetheycanberetouchedwithspotting will showuponprintsasblacklineswhichmustbechemi- transparencies areespeciallytroublesomebecausethey even minorsurfacescratchesonnegatives.Scratches negative, everypossibleprecautionshouldbetakentoavoid to retouchanenlargementprintedfromascratched35mm twelve groups: into vast numberofconfigurations.Theycanbedivided different paperandplasticmaterials,suppliedina Types ofEnclosures Chapter 14 The PermanenceandCareofColorPhotographs lections 1. High-density polyethylene sleeve for automatic nega- automatic for sleeve polyethylene High-density 1. Enclosures fornegatives,unmountedtransparencies, An enclosureshouldbedesignedsothatitcanopened Charges ofstaticelectricitywhichcandevelopasafilm As anyphotographerknowswhohaslaboriouslyattempted Photographic enclosureshavebeenmadewithmany be cutwithscissors andmanuallyinserted intothe customers’ printenvelopes. Negativestripscanalso the sleevesarefoldedaccordion-fashion andplacedin high-speed automaticmachines. Withnegativesinside, inserted intothesleeveswith manuallyoperatedor are cut—mostcommonly to 4-framelengths—and alone, manymillionsareused everyweek.Negatives most commonkindofnegativeenclosure—intheU.S. the nameofphotofinisher,sleevesarenow most aremanufacturedinJapan.Oftenimprintedwith polyethylene,and high-density translucent, of made partment open.Nearlyallsleevesofthisdesignare ments side-by-sideinarow,withoneendofeachcom- which aremadewithedge-sealednegativecompart- and mini-labsreturn35mmnegativesinplasticsleeves tive sleevers. . Handling Manyprofessionallabs,photofinishers,

and

Preservation

of

Color

Slide

Col- .Plasticsleeveheat-sealedarounduncutrollfilms. 3. .Plasticsleevewithuncementedtopflap. 2. this bookwent topress,noinformationwas available density polyethyleneis sleeves. Whenmadeofhigh-densitypolyethylene(low- (see material aresuppliedbyClimax, Ltd.andotherfirms Automatic heat-sealingequipment andplasticsleeving ing labs,especiallyforhousing transparencyrollfilms. sleeves havebecomepopular inprofessionalprocess- inside ofpaperenvelopes. Inrecentyears,hot-seal polyester oruncoatedpolypropylenesleeves,alsokept the sleevesbediscardedandfilmsplacedintop-flap removed fromthesleeves,thisauthorrecommendsthat should bestoredinpaperenvelopes.Oncefilmsare For protectionfromdust,cutlengthsofsleevedfilm scissors intolengthsofthedesirednumberframes. length sleeveswithfilminsidearegenerallycut ers requestthatalabreturnrollsuncut.Theroll- films butarealsoappliedto35mmwhencustom- sleeves aremostcommonlyusedwith120and220roll of thesleevesarenotsealedandremainopen.The ally sleevedimmediatelyafterprocessing.Thecutends and scratchesduringhandlinginthelab,filmsareusu- special heat-sealingequipment;forprotectionfromdust are sealedonbothedgesarounduncutrollfilmswith commonly madeofheat-sealablepolypropylene)that sleeves consistoftwotransparentplasticstrips(most Similar inappearancetoplasticnegativetubes,these able filingsystem.(See lopes providethebestprotectionofanycurrently avail- in combinationwithhigh-qualitytop-flappaperenve- sleeve duringhandling.Top-flappolyestersleevesused film accidentallyslidingoutofeitherendtheclosed very tightandcrispfoldstominimizethechancesofa negatives. the Kodakfoldersofferlittleprotectiontoindividual negatives cuttorandomlengthsstuffedintoeachfolder, by Kodaluxphotofinishinglabs;withanentirerollof folders inwhichnegativesarereturnedtocustomers are obviouslysuperiortotheopen-endyellowpaper of enclosureplastics.High-densitypolyethylenesleeves likely tocausescratchesonfilmsthanmostothertypes ing surfaceofhigh-densitypolyethyleneismuchless dust anddirt.Thenaturally“slippery”non-cling- lope, orotherenclosuretopreventcontaminationwith photofinisher’s envelope,standardpaperletterenve- appear tobereasonablysatisfactoryifkeptina avoided. Itis is impregnatedwithabrasivesilicondioxide,shouldbe surface polyestersuchasDuPontMylarEB-11,which material withwhichtomakethesesleeves;“matte” and chemicallyinertuncoatedpolyesteristhebest the recommendeddesignformostapplications.Stable quality top-flappaperenvelopes(No.8below),thisis adhesives arenotused.Usedincombinationwithhigh- the possibilityofscratches.Bothendsareopenand book toallowthefilmorprintbeliftedout,avoiding or cellulosetriacetate,thissleevecanbeopenedlikea made oftransparentuncoatedpolyester,polypropylene, Suppliers absolutely attheendofthischapter). At thetime not

Figure 14.1. essential recommended),thesleeves thatthesleevehave ) Usually

This document originated at on June 6, 2003 under file name: neoe n lee o im n rnsChapter14 Envelopes andSleevesforFilmsPrints .Sleevewithcementedtopandbottomseams. 4. .Negativetube. 6. Notebookpage. 5. .Printandnegative“wallet.” 7. reasonably safe. but theyarebelievedtobe or black-and-whitefilms, on thelong-termeffectsofthesesleevesstoredcolor cized PVCpagesinparticularshouldbeavoided. Plasti- notebook pageenclosuresarerecommended. mounted 35mmslides,noneofthecurrentlyavailable the exceptionofpolypropylenepagesdesignedfor results incontactimagesofreducedresolution.With sheets withnegativesinthepageseventhoughthis of convenience,manyphotographersexposecontact of translucenthigh-densitypolyethylene).Asamatter tached paperwallets(somewalletenclosuresaremade punched withring-binderholes;othersfoldupintoat- are intendedtobestoredflat,inboxes,andnot a pocketoropen-endedcompartment.Somefilingpages of whichrequirethatafilmorprintbeslidinandout are madeinawidevarietyofconfigurations,nearlyall tended tobestoredinathree-ringbinder,thepages ally, celluloseacetateorhigh-densitypolyethylene.In- polyvinyl chloride(PVC),polypropylene,and,occasion- usually madeoflow-densitypolyethylene,plasticized 4x5-inch and8x10-inchformat. with sheettransparencyfilms,especiallythose in the translucent-back sleevehasmostfrequentlybeenused made ofeitherPVCorcelluloseacetate.Thistype low-plasticizer-content PVC,withthetransparentfront translucent portionofsuchsleevesisusuallymade viewing theenclosedtransparencyornegative.The a “matte”translucentplastictoserveasdiffuserwhen cemented topandbottomseamshaveonesidemadeof long- orshort-termapplications.Somesleeveswith scratching. Thedesignisnotrecommendedforeither inserted orremoved,thereisasignificantdangerof against thesurfacesofenclosureeachtimeitis of thisdesign.Becausethefilmorprintmustslide Transparent Sleeves,madeofcellulosetriacetate,are color films.Sometimesreferredtoas“sheaths,”Kodak of sleevehastraditionallybeenusedforrollandsheet pylene, polyvinylchloride(PVC),orpolyester,thistype ally madeoftransparentcellulosetriacetate,polypro- have aprintand negativestoragecompartment inthe extends tothefulldepthof enclosure.Somewallets envelope withawide,unsecured topflapthatfrequently many configurationsbutbasically consistofafolded or low-densitypolyethylene. Walletsaresuppliedin cized polyvinylchloride(PVC), or,lesscommonly,high- returned tocustomersinwallets madeofpaper,plasti- tive tubes in particularshouldbeavoided. are notrecommended;low-densitypolyethylenenega- surfaces ofthetubeduringinsertionandremoval,they the plastictubesrequirethatfilmsslideagainst to lengthbytheuser,leavingbothendsopen.Because Intended for35mmand120/220rollfilms,theyarecut ene, thesearesuppliedasflattenedtubesinlongrolls. Usuallymadeoflow-densitypolyethyl- Oncemadeofglassine,thesearenow Mostamateurprintsare Gener- 0 Folder. 10. .Envelopewithoutprotectiveflap. 9. .Envelopewithprotectivetopflap. 8. on bothsides of two sidesofthe folder.Withtheexception ofKodak envelopes afterfilmsorprints areinsertedbetweenthe out atopflap.Foldersare intended tobeplacedinto with bothendsopen.Folders aregenerallymadewith- ers haveagluedseamonone endandsomearemade prints. potential forharmtofilmsand appear tohavetheleast used, edge-sealedhigh-densitypolyethyleneenvelopes for reasonsofeconomythistypeenclosuremustbe with agluedseaminthecentershouldbeavoided.If applications; inparticular,paperorglassineenvelopes backs andisnotrecommendedforlong-termstorage negative removal.Thedesignhasanumberofdraw- are oftenmadewithathumb-cutatthetoptofacilitate prints, areincludedinthisgroup.)Theseenvelopes ten usedforstorageofbothmountedandunmounted polyethylene. (Flat,low-densitypolyethylenebags,of- it isusuallymadeofpaper,glassine,orhigh-density closure. Sealedonthreesides,withoneendleftopen, as a“jacket,”thisisthetraditionalnegativefilingen- be placedineachenvelope.(See sleeves can sions. Upto10filmsorprintsinindividual information, filingnumbers,andrubber-stampimpres- sion andalsoprovidesaconvenientsurfaceforwritten protects thesleeveandphotographfromdustabra- amination, handling,andstorage.Thepaperenvelope prints andexternalchemicalcontaminationduringex- parent sleeveprotectsthefilmorprintfromfinger- ter sleeve,whichisthenputintheenvelope.Thetrans- (No. 2above).Afilmorprintisfirstplacedinapolyes- for useincombinationwithtop-flappolyestersleeves folded, seamlessbottom,thistypeofenvelopeisideal envelope with aprotectivetopflap. envelope of apaperwalletwiththeoverallconcept enclosure hasadesignthatcombinescertainfeatures separate paperfoldercontainingthenegatives).This ment accommodatestheprintsandotherholdsa years suppliedwithstandard-sizeprints(onecompart- per envelopethatKodak(nowKodalux)hasformany safer istheyellowtwo-compartment,heavy-weightpa- oversize 4x6-inchprintsfrom35mmnegatives.Much material withits“premium”Magnaprint35Servicefor Services) havesuppliedwalletsmadeofthisunsafe 1983 KodakProcessingLabs(nowKodalux should beavoidedforstorageofphotographs,since PVC plasticized that advised frequently has Kodak so thatthecontentsarevisiblewhenopen.Eventhough wallets aregenerallymadewithtransparentinteriors top flapaswellthebottomofenclosure;PVC erly made enclosed filmsorprintsfreefromdustanddirt.Prop- protective flap,thisdesignisveryeffectiveinkeeping envelope. Lesscommonthantheenvelopewithouta paper, thisissimilarindesigntotheordinarymailing

the

envelope), Usuallymadeofpaperorglassine, somefold- with (with

narrow anungummedtopflap,andwitha

the

and two

thinly flaps

adhered cemented Figure 14.2 Sometimesknown Usuallymadeof

to edgeseams

the .)

outside 488

This document originated at on June 6, 2003 under file name: 489 ment, speed thermal,ultrasonic,or radio-frequency sealingequip- placed paperandglassineenclosures. branches ofphotographythey havealmostentirelydis- of plasticenclosureshasmarkedly increased,andinmost they arelookedat.Duringthelastdecade,popularity enclosures, filmsandprintsmustberemovedeverytime scratches, andothersortsofphysicaldamage.Withpaper tive andprintfilesbutalsohelpstoavoidfingerprints, enclosure. Thisnotonlyspeedsupexaminationofnega- can beviewedwithouthavingtoremovethemfromthe paper envelopesisthatnegatives,transparencies,andprints glassine envelopes. Manyoftheseglues contain ingredi- h emnneadCr fClrPoorpsChapter14 The PermanenceandCareofColorPhotographs Plastic EnclosureMaterials 1 Heat-sealablevapor-proofenvelope. 11. 2 Four-flappaperenclosure. 12. Plastic enclosurescanbefabricated easilywithhigh- A greatadvantageoftransparentplasticenclosuresover of enclosureisnotrecommended. little protectionfromdustanddirtisprovided,thistype fall outoftheopentopand/orendsafolder,and monly used.Becausegroupsofnegativescaneasily ends open),thistypeofenclosureisnolongercom- end, andothersmadewithoutatopflapwithboth (some madewithatopflapandgluedseamonone years returnedcutrollsofnegativesinapaperfolder (now Kodalux)photofinishinglabs,whichhaveformany because oflackdemand. they werediscontinuedbyKodakin1987,apparently called KodakStorageEnvelopesforProcessedFilm, were suppliedbyEastmanKodakforanumberofyears; 20). Envelopesofthistypein4x5-and8x10-inchsizes than coldstorageapplications(seeChapters19and They arenotrecommendedbythisauthorforother envelopes mustbereplacedeachtimetheyareopened. in coldstoragewithuncontrolledrelativehumidity,the barrier. Intendedforprotectingcolorfilmsandprints aluminum-foil layerisneededtoprovideamoisture paper andplasticsarepermeabletowatervapor,the manufacturers tofactory-packsheetfilms.Because are similartotheenvelopesusedbyKodakandother per- orplastic/aluminum-foil/polyethylenelaminate;they companies, thesespecialenvelopesaremadeofapa- servation ResourcesInternational,Inc.,andseveralother variety ofsizesbyLightImpressionsCorporation,Con- per envelopes. polyester sleevesusedincombinationwithtop-flappa- four-flap enclosuresarenotassatisfactorytop-flap closure arenotrecommended.Inthisauthor’sview, glues intheenclosure.Three-flapversionsofthisen- of thenegative,andabsencepotentiallyharmful freedom fromscratchingduringinsertionandremoval scored foreaseoffolding.Advantagesthedesignare are successivelyfoldedoverit.Theenclosurespre- sure andthefourflaps,eachsizeofnegative, plate ornegativeisplacedinthecenterofenclo- archives, especiallyforstorageofglassplates.The sign ofpaperenclosure,favoredbysomemuseumsand 1 whicheliminatestheglues required forpaperand Thisisaspecializedde- Suppliedina ethylene enclosures: for storageoffilmsandprints. later, itisrecommendedthatthesematerialsbeavoided plasticized PVC;forthisandotherimportantreasonscited density polyethylene,surface-treatedpolypropylene,and and filmemulsionsstickingtoenclosuresmadeoflow- proper sizebeforeplacingintheplasticenvelope. film, orthatthefilmprintbeputinathinpaperfolder of placed betweentheenclosureandemulsionsideof suitable paper,cuttothesamesizeasfilmorprint,be of highrelativehumidity,itissuggestedthatasheet of photographs mustbestoredforlongperiodsinconditions density polyethylene,orcellulosetriacetate.If,however, made ofuncoatedpolyester,untreatedpolypropylene,high- to belittlelikelihoodofstickingproblemswithenclosures boxes (orotherwisestoredunderpressure),thereappears able, andfilmsorprintsarenotcrammedintofileslarge aggerated. etate enclosures,thisallegeddangerhasbeengreatlyex- gests tothisauthorthatwithpolyesterandcelluloseac- contact withthesmoothsurfacesofadjacentfilms—sug- films storedingroupssothattheemulsionsaretight and printspackagedinglossyacetatesleeves—aswell many commercialandhistoricalcollectionscontainingfilms especially whenstoredinhighhumidities.Examinationof called ferrotyping)ontheemulsionsoffilmsandprints, to causestickingorareasofirregularsurfacegloss(often inplasticenclosures, andthattheyaremorelikely trapped the plasticenclosuresinpaperenvelopesorboxes. keeping darkroomsandotherworkareascleanbystoring develop staticcharges.Thisproblemcanbeminimizedby low. Duringhandling,polyesterisparticularlylikelyto tain dustanddirt,especiallywhentherelativehumidityis to developstaticelectricalcharges,whichattractandre- outside oftheenvelope. and rubber-stampimpressionscaneasilybeputonthe paper envelope,negativenumbers,captioninformation, surface. However,ifplasticenclosuresareinsertedintoa or PilotPhotographicpenswillsatisfactorilyadheretothe from solvent-dyefelt-tipmarkerssuchasSanford’sSharpie difficult towriteon;withmosttypesofplastics,onlyinks also sufferfromafewdrawbacks.Theyare,forexample, tion intheseareas. glued envelopeseams,acceleratingfadinganddiscolora- the paper—aswelloffilmsorprintsinvicinity are hygroscopicandincreaselocalizedmoisturecontentof stored inhumidconditions.Manycommonlyusedglues lems canbeespeciallyseverewhenthephotographsare negatives storedadjacenttocementedseams;suchprob- ents whichcancausediscolorationandfadingofprints Kodak haspointedoutanadditionaldrawbackofpoly- This authorhasobservedanumberofinstancesprint When storagetemperaturesandhumiditiesarereason- Concern hasbeenexpressedthatmoisturemaybecome Another objectiontoplasticenclosuresisthattheytend Although plasticenclosureshavemanyadvantages,they ylene andthereby damagenegatives. scorch good-qualitypaper,might meltpolyeth- stroy negativesonacetatefilm base,noreven ity ofthestoreroom,heatthat wouldnotde- . ifafireoccurredintheimmediate vicin- 3 2

This document originated at on June 6, 2003 under file name: neoe n lee o im n rnsChapter14 Envelopes andSleevesforFilmsPrints onto thefilm.” polyethylene andPVC]werelostwhentheplasticmelted degrees ofsuccess.Mostnegativesinplastic[low-density storage containerswithstoodheatandwaterwithvarying storage faredreasonablywell,althoughdifferenttypesof destroyed. Assalvageeffortsrevealed,“Somenegativesin longing toSanFranciscoareafineartphotographerswere Lab inOakland,California,manynegativesandprintsbe- whereas polypropylenetearswithamuchsmootheredge. but polyestertearswitharough,somewhatjaggededge (by makingasmallcutwithpairofscissors,forexample), Both plasticstearfairlyeasilyonceahasbeenstarted polyester, itisdifficulttoinitiateatearinpolypropylene. guish frompolyesteronthebasisofsimpletests.Aswith pylene, whichisdiscussedlater,maybehardtodistin- ine paper,andstifferthanlow-densitypolyethylene.Polypro- lucent material,somewhatsimilarinappearancetoglass- breaking; high-densitypolyethyleneisamilk-whitetrans- ible, andcanbestretchedconsiderablywithouttearingor polyethylene areslightlymilkyinappearance,veryflex- in methylenechloride.Transparentgradesoflow-density polyethylene, andpolypropylene,noneofwhichissoluble age enclosuresarelow-densitypolyethylene,high-density to distinguish from celluloseacetateorpolypropylene. tom-seam sheetfilmandroll filmsleeves)maybedifficult cizer-content PVC(usedin some cementedtop-andbot- when heldclosetothenose. Thingaugesoflow-plasti- Heavily plasticizedPVCusually hasapronouncedodor notebook pagesand,lesscommonly, toholdnegativestrips. plastic, usuallyoffairlyheavy gaugewhenusedforslide can bedifferentiatedbytwosimpletests: glass-clear materialsandverysimilarinappearance.They and OtherPlasticEnclosureMaterials Identifying Polyester,CelluloseTriacetate, plastics areinferiortopolyesterforstorageenclosures. ene andplasticizedPVCisanadditionalreasonthatthese .Cellulosetriacetateissolubleincertainsolvents,such 2. Usingjustthefingers,itisalmostimpossibletoinitiate 1. In adisastrous1982fireattheDesignConspiracyColor Other commonplasticsformakingphotographicstor- Plasticized PVCisaflexible,glass-clearortranslucent Uncoated polyesterandcellulosetriacetateareboth vents aretoxictobreathe. should bedonewithadequateventilationsincethesol- fected bysolventsatroomtemperatures.Thistest become cementedtogether.Polyesterisvirtuallyunaf- ride, thematerialwillbecomestickyandpiecesmay as methylenechloride.Whendippedinchlo- cellulose triacetate. and color35mmlargerrollfilmsaremadewith are madeofpolyester.)MostKodakblack-and-white is neededforcomparison,KodakEstarBasesheetfilms stiffer thancellulosetriacetate.(Ifanidentifiedsample easily. Inanequivalentthickness,polyesterismuch a tearinpolyester.Cellulosetriacetatetearsrather 4 Thelowmeltingtemperatureofpolyethyl- 5 1,000 days(2.7 years)ofacceleratedaging, thecellulose base papersupportofKodak DyeTransferprints.After ester materialswerealsomuch morestablethanthefiber- rials usedwithKodak,Fuji,and Agfa35mmfilms;thepoly- be farmorestablethanthecellulose triacetatebasemate- and Cibachrome(Ilfochrome) MicrographicFilmprovedto Ilfochrome) prints,UltraStable PermanentColorprints, sheet andthepolyesterbasematerialsofCibachrome(now (62 and humidityconditions. white andcolorimages,evenunderextremetemperature that polyesterisessentiallynonreactivewithblack-and- film base,coupledwithacceleratedagingtests,indicates photograph inexistence.Extensiveexperiencewithitas a paper; polyesterwillprobablylastaslonganytype of more stablethaneventhebest-quality100%cottonfiber humidity. Indarkstorage,polyestersheetisbelievedtobe greater underadversestorageconditionsofhighrelative advantages ofpolyesterovercellulosetriacetateareeven unchanged “forseveralthousandyears.” physical propertiesofpolyesterarepredictedtoremain more stablethancellulosetriacetatefilmbaseandthatthe dark storageEstarpolyesterfilmbaseisatleastsixtimes tic. RecentlypublishedstudiesbyKodakindicatethatin polyester frontandbackingsheets. 600 HighSpeedprints,andPolaroidSX-70printsallhave prints (calledPolaroidImageinEurope), Fujiflex SFASuper-GlossPrintingMaterial.PolaroidSpectra base forKonicaColorQASuperGlossyPrintMaterialand rial. Asimilarifnotidenticalpolyestermaterialisalsothe manent-Color prints,andKodakDuraflexRAPrintMate- prints, UltraStablePermanentColorPolaroidPer- chrome Classic(formerlyCibachromeII)glossy-surface Imperial ChemicalIndustries,Ltd.(ICI)isusedwithIlfo- Melinex polyesterbasematerialmadebytheBritishfirm PolaChrome instantcolorslidefilm.Aspecialopaquewhite (formerly Cibachrome)Micrographicfilm,andPolaroid black-and-white andcolorsheetfilms,IlfordIlfochrome such productsasKodakGoldDiscfilm,EstarBase Gold, andEktachrome.Polyesteristhecurrentbasefor as KodakT-Max400,Tri-XPan,Vericolor,Ektar, support materialformost35mmand120/220rollfilmssuch materials. Cellulosetriacetatecontinuestobeusedasthe particularly wellsuitedforsheetfilmsandreflectionprint stiffer thancellulosetriacetateofthesamethickness,itis ucts, especiallygraphicartsfilms;becausepolyesteris pensive cellulosetriacetateasafilmbaseforsomeprod- under theEstarname. of Mylar);EastmanKodakproducespolyesterfilmbase ester sheetmaterial(DuPontmanufacturesover60types DuPont Mylarisprobablythebest-knowncommercialpoly- companies intheU.S.andothercountries.InU.S., ylene terephthalate,polyesterisproducedbyanumberof sures. Aglass-clearplastictechnicallyknownaspolyeth- tributes, thepreferredmaterialforphotographicenclo- Highly Recommended Polyester FilmandPrintEnclosures– In thisauthor’saccelerateddark-storagetestsat144 Polyester isanextremelystableandlong-lastingplas- About 25yearsago,polyesterbegantoreplacelessex- Uncoated polyesteris,becauseofseveraluniqueat- ° C) and45%RH,DuPontMylarDuncoatedpolyester 6 7 Thestability ° F 490

This document originated at on June 6, 2003 under file name: 491 h emnneadCr fClrPoorpsChapter 14 The PermanenceandCareofColorPhotographs will exacerbatetheproblem. or otherparticlesofdirtonthefilmacetateenclosures sheet filmstoredintightlypackedverticalfiles;anydust damage toaphotograph.Thisismostoftenseenwith surface abrasionwhichcaninsomecasescausesevere cate emulsionorbasesurfacesduringstorage,producing ripples inafilmorprintenclosurecan“rock”onthedeli- surface ripplesorwaves,eveninlargesizes.Any triacetate, polyestersheetslieveryflatanddonotdevelop ner gaugesthancellulosetriacetate.Unlikethin same degreeofphysicalprotection,itcanbeusedinthin- with somecolormaterials. pH ofaphotographicmaterial,animportantconsideration graphs. Storageincontactwithpolyesterwillnotalterthe to paperasachemicalbarrierbetweenadjacentphoto- by thisauthor(see Talas Inc.,inNewYorkCity, employingdesignssuggested ter filmandprintenclosures wereintroducedin1976by first commerciallyavailable uncementedtop-flappolyes- has becomewidelyavailable intheplasticsindustry.The mits effectiveweldingandfolding ofpolyesterenclosures years, however,ultrasonicheatingequipmentwhichper- with conventionalfabricatingmachinery.Inthelastfew Polyester alsocannotbeheatsealedorproperlyfolded cated withconventionalsolventcementingtechniques. expensive thancellulosetriacetateanditcannotbefabri- make photographicenclosuresbecauseitissomewhatmore taminate printsandnegatives. can migratethroughadjacentpaperenvelopesandcon- lopes, aswellfromincorrectlyprocessedphotographs ful chemicalsfrompoor-qualitymountboardandenve- washed correctly—likelytobeintheircollections.Harm- graphs —manyofwhichhavenotbeenprocessedand ums andarchivesbecauseofthegreatvarietyphoto- per. Thisfeaturemaybeparticularlyimportanttomuse- as improperlyprocessedphotographsorlow-qualitypa- pollutants and/orharmfulchemicalsfrommaterialssuch fords significantprotectiontophotographsfromatmospheric from rapidfluctuationsinrelativehumidity. mission, whichwillpartiallyprotectenclosedphotographs most solventsandhasaverylowrateofmoisturetrans- and damagefilmsorprints.Polyesterisnotaffectedby no plasticizerswhichmightexudeorvolatilizeovertime terials appeared and hadbecomegrosslydeformed,whilethepolyesterma- triacetate filmbaseshadshrunk,smelledofaceticacid, Design ofPolyesterSleeves may beassumedtosafe. specifically designedasafilmbase,suchKodakKodacel, probably willnotharmphotographs,butonlythosetypes many gradesbyanumberofmanufacturers.Mostbrands pected. Cellulosetriacetate,ontheotherhand,ismadein that theywillbephotographicallysafeandperformasex- DuPont MylarDorICIMelinex516,thereisassurance If enclosuresaremadeof Polyester isverytoughandtear-resistant—forthe Similar clearpolyester sleevesaresoldunder theFold Until recently,polyesterwasnotusedextensivelyto Polyester hasalowpermeabilitytogasesandthusaf- naturally flexibleandcontains is polyester Uncoated totally Figure 14.1 unaffected. uncoated 8 and Polyesterisfarsuperior Table 14.1 polyester,suchas ). al 41SuggestedSizesforSleeves Table 14.1 * Will fitinastandardNo.11letterenvelopeorfile Will * Note: large prints). D inTalassleevesisadistinctadvantagewhenhandling print andsheetfilmsizes(thethickermorerigidMylar the tightfolds),andTalassleevesin4x5-inchlarger clear sleevesin35mmand120rollfilmsizes(because of Light Impressions.ThisauthorprefersImpressions about twiceasthicktheMylarDinthosesuppliedby sleeves aremadeof4-mil(0.004-inch)MylarD,which is films fromslippingoutoftheendssleeves.Talas significant advantagebecausetightfoldstendtoprevent tighter foldsthansleevesgenerallysuppliedbyTalas— a samples ofsleevesfromLightImpressionsweremadewith Lock namebyLightImpressionsCorporation.Recent is astrongabrasive. Testsbythisauthor showthatrub- porated silicondioxidematting agentwhich,unfortunately, of stickingorferrotyping.This materialcontainsanincor- Mylar TypeEB-11,whichis claimed tominimizechances made ofmattesurface“frosted” polyester,suchasDuPont 1. 78c)(3x18.4cm) (13 x13.3cm) (10.5 8x 10sheetfilmorprint (12.7 x17.8cm) 5 x7sheetfilmorprint (10.2 x12.7cm) 35mm 4-framestrip SleeveSize Film orPrintSize 4 x5sheetfilmorprint 4. 08c)(16x51.8cm) (41.6 x36.5cm) (28.6 x26.4cm) (21 (40.6 x50.8cm) 16 x20sheetfilmorprint (28 x35.6cm) 11 x14sheetfilmorprint (20.3 x25.4cm) 35mm 5-framestrip 120/220 3-framestrip* 35mm 6-framestrip* Photofile, Inc.andsomeother firms drawer. recommended. gested. Forlargersizes,4to6milthicknessesare inches, 2to4milthicknessesofpolyesteraresug- uncoated polyestermaterials.Forsizesupto4x5 DuPont MylarDandICIMelinex516areacceptable Made ofUncoatedPolyester — — — — — — — — — 41 x15.9cm) (4.13 41 x23.5cm) (4.13 x19.7cm) (4.13 16 11 67x20.3cm) (6.7 8 5 4 1 2 1 1 1 1 5 5 5 3 1 1 5 9 ⁄ ⁄ ⁄ ⁄ ⁄ ⁄ ⁄ ⁄ ⁄ 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 4 4 alsosupplysleeves x 7 x 5 x 8inches x 9 x 7 x 6 x 20 x 14 x 10 1 1 1 1 3 ⁄ ⁄ ⁄ ⁄ ⁄ 4 3 3 3 4 4 4 4 inches ⁄ ⁄ ⁄ inches inches inches inches 8 8 8 inches inches inches

This document originated at on June 6, 2003 under file name: neoe n lee o im n rnsChapter14 Envelopes andSleevesforFilmsPrints from officesupply stores. in ahigh-qualityNo.11sizepaper envelope,available comprising afull36-exposure roll, maybesafelystored Six sleeved35mmcolororblack-and-white negativestrips, top-flap polyestersleevemadebyLightImpressionsCorp. A six-frame35mmnegativestripbeinginsertedintoa it isessentialthatsuchsleevesbemadewithtightfolds. dentally slidingoutofanopenendapolyestersleeve, book. Tominimizethepossibilityofafilmorprintacci- the sleeve;thisallowssleevetobeopenedlikea flap foldsoverbutisnotcementedtothemainbodyof Figure 14.1 Designofatop-flappolyestersleeve.The bottom seam. signed withnarrowgluedsideseamsandwithouta emulsion ofafilmorprint,thistypeenvelopeisde- contact betweenapotentiallyharmfulgluedseamandthe flap polyestersleeve suppliedbyTalasInc. An 8x10-inchprintbeingplaced inaheavy-gaugetop- Figure 14.2 on recommendationsgivenin Designofatop-flappaperenvelope,based ANSI IT 9.2-1991 . Toavoid 492

This document originated at on June 6, 2003 under file name: 493 types ofenclosures; typicalpricesatthetime ofthiswrit- useful whenprintsaresubject tofrequenthandling. in placeandcannotslideout. L-Velopesareparticularly tection fromdust.Onceinserted, printsareheldsecurely flaps ontheothertwosides, thusaffordingexcellentpro- The sleevesaresealedontwo sidesandhaveoverlapping Holyoke, Massachusettsarealsoexcellentforstoringprints. size; apre-cutsheetof placing aprintonsheetofmountboardcuttotheproper gallery printracks,aneffectiveenclosurecanbemadeby the flapmeetsbackofsleeve. opened bycuttingthetapeatjointwhereedgeof in publicfiles.Foraccesstotheprint,sleevecanbe ing handlingandisespeciallyhelpfulwhenprintsarekept will preventthesleevefromaccidentallyfallingopendur- Tape No.810,madebythe3MCompany,issuitable.This pressure-sensitive tapesuchasScotchMagicTransparent the printisinsertedandsleeveclosed;astable, desirable totapethetopflapbackofsleeveafter kink marksfromoccurringintheprint.Itmayalsobe board behindtheprintinsleevetopreventcreasesand protected byinsertingasheetofhigh-quality2-plymount mally bethecase. the printfromcontractingduringdrying,aswouldnor- in thewetstate.Contactwithferrotypesheetprevents will beveryclosetothatofthepaperwhenitisexpanded ing) sheetsorferrotypingdryerdrums,thesizeofprint fiber-base printsaredriedincontactwithferrotype(glaz- inch” printmaybeaslarge to belargerthantheindicatedsize;forexample,an“8x10- they willcontain.Fiber-baseprintsareparticularlylikely discussed previously. opinion, notassatisfactorythetop-flappolyestersleeves other twosidesopenandwithoutflaps),are,inthisauthor's are sealedononeshortsideandlong(withthe sources alsoarenotrecommended.L-sealedsleeves,which ter andpolypropylenesleevessoldbyConservationRe- ing duringinsertionandremoval.The“L-sealed”polyes- ommended becauseofthedangertofilmsorprintsscratch- under thePolyweldname)andPhotofile,Inc.arenotrec- supplied byConservationResourcesInternational,Inc.(sold having boththetopandbottomedgessealed,suchasthose the companydiscontinuedmatte-surfaceproducts. Services, Inc. sures ofthistypeareavailablefromJerrySolomonGallery No. 415,madebythe3MCompany.Ready-madeenclo- sure-sensitive tapesuchasScotchDouble-CoatedFilmTape adhered tothebackofmountboardwithastable,pres- placed ontopandtheedgesofpolyesterarefolded ment) whichoverlapsallfouredgesofthemountboard is is almostimpossibletofoldsharplywithoutspecialequip- h emnneadCr fClrPoorpsChapter 14 and Mylar pressions offeredfoldersandtop-flapsleevesinbothclear polyester shouldbeavoided.ForsomeyearsLightIm- only slightpressurewillseverelyabradethesurface;“frosted” bing thematerialonemulsionofafilmorprintwith The PermanenceandCareofColorPhotographs Polyester sleevesaremore expensive thanmostother The polyesterL-VelopessuppliedbyLineco,Inc.of For printsthatarehandledagreatdeal,suchasin Especially whenhandledfrequently,largeprintscanbe Sleeves shouldbesomewhatlargerthanthephotographs Polyester sleevesineitherclearormattesurfaceand EB -11 matte-surfacepolyester;however,in1988, 10 thin polyester(thicksheet 8 1 ⁄ 4 x10 3 / 8

inches. When and films. in onepaperenvelope)through16x20inchesforbothprints (which arenormallystoredwithsixorseven6-framestrips able. ure 14.2 top-flap paperenvelopesofthedesignillustratedin untreated polypropylene)sleeveswithmatchinghigh-quality enclosures consistingofuncementedtop-flappolyester(or mation arewrittenontheoutsideofenvelope. dodging andburninginstructions,otherprintinginfor- the appropriatesize;negativeidentification,exposuretimes, around thenegativeandthenplacedinapaperenvelopeof which apolyesterfolder(withouttopflap)iswrapped purchased. 8x10-inch sleeve.Pricesarelesswhenlargequantities of 35mmfilm,$0.16fora4x5-inchsleeve,and$0.45an ing were$0.15forasleevedesignedtohold6-framestrip frames) through4x5inches,all intheslide-throughdesign. makes celluloseacetatesleeves insizes35mm(stripof6 tive envelopesthecompany has producedsince1939,also pylene arelessexpensivethan polyester. to polypropylene.Bothcellulose triacetateandpolypro- roll films.In1983thefirmconvertedmostofitsproducts which includeduncementedtop-flapdesignsfor35mmand Vu PlasticsCorporation)producedalineofacetatesleeves to haveonlylimitedsales. ago; thesleevesarecomparativelyexpensiveandappear size. KodakintroduceditsTransparentSleevesmanyyears properly accommodatemostpaperprintsofthesamenominal film boxes.Consequently,Kodaksleevesaretoosmall to sumably sothatsleevedfilmswillfitintostandardsheet be onlyslightlylargerthannominalsheetfilmsizes,pre- available inseveralsheetfilmsizes.Theyaredesigned to etate sleevesareKodakTransparentSleeves,which material. triacetate isdistinctlyinferiortopolyesterasanenclosure prints areslidinandout.Forthesereasons,cellulose are alsomorelikelytocausescratcheswhenfilmsand ticles ofdustorotherdirtarepresent.Distortedsleeves of thephotograph,cancauseabrasion—especiallyifpar- “rocking” ofthetriacetateonfrontandbacksurfaces sure onthefilmswhich,incombinationwithslidingor tortions mayproducelocalizedareasofrelativelyhighpres- are groupedtogetherinfilesandboxes,thesesurfacedis- face cocklesduringlong-termstorage.Whenfilmsorprints triacetate sheetstendtodevelopwrinkles,waves,andsur- ally remainflatandsmoothduringstorage,thincellulose serted andremoved.Unlikepolyestersheets,whichusu- prints slideontheenclosuresurfaceswhentheyarein- bottom-seam sleevedesignwhichrequiresthatfilmsand were generallyavailableonlyinthecementedtop-and Not Recommended Cellulose TriacetateSleeves— As yet,nomanufacturerhasofferedasystemoffiling Ansel Adamsadoptedasystemofnegativestoragein In 1984Paterson ProductsLtd.ofEngland introduceda NegaFile Systems,Inc.,bestknown fortheglassinenega- For manyyears,Kleer-VuIndustries,Inc.(nowKleer- At presenttheonlycommonlyavailablecellulosetriac- At thetimeofthiswriting,cellulosetriacetatesleeves 11 Sizesareneededfor6-framestripsof35mmfilm ; however,itislikelythatthesewillsoonbeavail- Fig-

This document originated at on June 6, 2003 under file name: neoe n lee o im n rnsChapter14 Envelopes andSleevesforFilmsPrints figurations. The cementinthesesleeves isa“specially plied incementedtop-seam and glued“frosted-back”con- sizes rangingfrom4x5to16x20 inches. Pro-Line sleevesforsheetfilms andprintsareavailablein the sleevestoshortlengthswith apapercutterorscissors. are notavailable.Itis,however, afairlysimpletasktocut modate 35mm6-framestripsor3-frameof120film foot rolls.Unfortunately,short,pre-cutlengthstoaccom- and 120films.Thesleevesarealsoavailableinuncut667- inches, whichwillaccommodatefull-rolllengthsof35mm and otherrollfilmsizesonlyinpre-cutlengthsof4062 sures name. enclosures marketedunderthePro-LineProtectiveEnclo- tensive lineofpolypropylenesleevesandnotebook-page the plasticsrecommendedin with uncoatedpolyesterandcelluloseacetate,itisoneof pylene isconsideredtobeastableandsafeplastic;along polypropylene isalmostastransparentpolyester.Polypro- available substituteforpolyester.Untreated“oriented” relatively low-costmaterialandappearstobethebest ANSI Recommended Untreated PolypropyleneTop-FlapSleeves— ing the few black-and-whiteandcolorphotographicmaterialsus- ever, theyarenotrecommended. surfaces ofthepagesduringinsertionandremoval,how- the pagesrequirethatnegativesslideagainstthinplastic storage forcorrectlyfixedandwashednegatives.”Since been advertisedas“chemicallyinerttoensurearchival line ofcelluloseacetatenotebook-pageenclosuresthathave of polypropylene inPro-Linesleevesmeetstherequirements adverse results. ANSI Kleer-Vu Pro-Linepolypropylene sleevesarealsosup- At thetimeofthiswriting,Kleer-Vuwassupplying35mm In 1983Kleer-VuPlasticsCorporationintroducedanex- to filmsurfacesduringhandlingandstorage. or wave-likedeformationsthatcaneventuallycausedamage as KodakTransparentSleeves,tendtodevelopwrinkles Over time,sleevesmadeofthincelluloseacetate,such

IT9.2-1991

IT9.2-1991 ANSI 12

Untreated(uncoated)polypropyleneisa IT9.2 15 . 13 14 AccordingtoKleer-Vu,theuntreated PhotographicActivityTest,withno andhasbeentestedincontactwitha American

National

Standard nia marketspolypropylene top-flapsleeves underthe pylene frontand“frosted”PVC backshouldbeavoided. likewise, PolyguardEcono-Matte sleeveswithapolypro- signs. Thecemented-seamsleeves arenotrecommended; and withcementedseamsin clearandfrosted-backde- sleeves forsheetfilmsaresupplied inthetop-flapdesign, Escondido, CaliforniaunderthePolyguardname. are currentlysuppliedbytheFilmguardCorporation of are availableonlyinsheetfilmsizes). cellulose triacetatesleeves(KodakTransparentSleeves facturers intheUnitedStateswhichcontinuetoproduce NegaFile Systems,Inc.appeartobetheonlymajormanu- ethylene enclosuresarethelowestincost).Kodakand range (polyesterenclosuresarethemostexpensive;poly- tic hasbecomethematerialofchoiceinmediumprice cellulose acetateandPVCtopolypropylene,theplas- their sleeveandnotebook-pageenclosureproductionfrom same design. one-half asmuchFoldLockpolyestersleevesofthe der theFoldLockname;sleevescostapproximately pylene sleevesin35mmthrough5x7-inchfilmformatsun- Light ImpressionsCorporationalsosuppliestop-flappolypro- are onlyaboutone-sixththecostofsimilarpolyestersleeves. more expensivetop-flappolyestersleeves.Pro-Linesleeves recommended astheonlysatisfactoryalternativeto term storageoffilmsandprintscantentativelybe uncemented with thesenewuntreatedpolypropyleneproducts,the are thereforenotrecommended. slide againsttheplasticduringinsertionorremovaland The cementedtop-seamsleevesrequirethatfilmsorprints is usedfortherearsheetofPro-Line“frosted-back”sleeves. Photographic ActivityTest.Translucentcelluloseacetate writing, hadnotbeensubjectedtothe formulated” hot-meltadhesive,which,atthetimeofthis of NaturalHistoryinNewYorkCity. transparency inthecollectionofAmericanMuseum ized abrasiononbothsidesofthis4x5-inchAnscocolor A deformedcelluloseacetatesleevecausedseverelocal- National PhotoProductsCompany ofCudahy,Califor- Top-flap polypropylenesleevesinuncutrollfilmsizes During 1984and1985,anumberofcompaniesconverted Although thisauthorhashadonlylimitedexperience top-flapsleevesappeartobesuitableforlong- ANSI

IT9.2-1991 494

This document originated at on June 6, 2003 under file name: 495

Victor Schrager 1979 midity conditions. for about2yearsundernormalroomtemperatureandhu- enclosure madebyC-LineProducts,Inc.,whichwasstored emulsion tothesurfaceofapolypropylenenotebook-page this authorhasobservedstickingofablack-and-whiteprint polyethylene andPVCorpresentotherproblems.Indeed, film emulsionsinamannersimilartothatobservedwith polypropylene maybepronetoferrotypingorsticking to assessingthesuitabilityofenclosures.Thetreated use inpocket-typenotebook-pageenclosures. rily sealedbyheatorultrasonically,whichprecludesits Untreated “oriented”polypropylenecannotbesatisfacto- These pagesareallmadeofsurface-treatedpolypropylene. tics Corporation,andFranklinDistributorsCorporation. Plastics, Inc.,LightImpressionsCorporation,Kleer-VuPlas- companies includingC-LineProducts,Inc.,20thCentury of negatives,andprintsareavailablefromanumber Not RecommendedExceptforSlidePages Notebook-Page FilmandPrintEnclosures: Surface-Treated Polypropylene from whichtheirsleevesweremade. listed intheirproductliteraturethetypeofpolypropylene ers; atthetimeofthiswriting,noneothersuppliers Kleer-Vu productsinpreferencetothoseofothersuppli- of polypropyleneinitssleeves,thisauthorrecommends avoided forlong-termapplications. pylene sleevesforsheetfilms;theseshouldbe Plus. Thecompanyalsomakescemented-seampolypro- arethicknesses, which designatedPlastarin two and Plastar Filmguard PlastarSleevingname.Thesleevesareoffered h emnneadCr fClrPoorpsChapter14 The PermanenceandCareofColorPhotographs The surfacecoatingsaddapresentlyunknownelement Polypropylene notebook-pageenclosuresforslides,strips and polypropylene). which minimizecontactandpressure betweenthefilm storage ofmountedslides(slides haverecessedmounts therefore notrecommendedfor applicationsotherthan and sleevesmaysticktoprint or filmemulsionsandare Over time,surface-treatedpolypropylene notebookpages Because Kleer-Vuidentifiesthemanufacturerandtype 16 Whencontactedabouttheproblem,C- pylene notebook-pageenclosuresare drawback —andthepotentialproblemofstickingpolypro- negatives andprintsbeslidinout.Becauseofthis with itspolypropyleneproducts: readily acknowledgedthatstickinghassometimesoccurred Line offeredtoreplacetheenclosureatnochargeand nature ofthestickingproblem.Thecompany,working tures itsownenclosuresandappearstounderstandthe under theirown“privatelabel.”C-Lineactuallymanufac- over thoseofothersuppliers,especiallysellingpages and prints,thisauthorcurrentlyrecommendsC-Lineproducts use polypropylenenotebookpageenclosuresfornegatives (see Chapter18). long-term storageapplications,exceptformountedslides The designofnotebook-pageenclosuresrequiresthat the latephotographer AndreKerteszandCarol Brower. The photograph,takenbyVictor Schragerin1979,isof clearly whenlightisreflectedoff thesurfaceofpage. City apartment.Theareasof adhesioncanbeseen white printafterseveralyears of storageinaNewYork stuck tothesurfaceofan8x10-inch fiber-baseblack-and- In thisexample,aC-Linepolypropylene notebookpage If, inspiteoftheseproblems,thedecisionismadeto pliers have respondedtoourneeds. pliers tive inthematerialwewillaccept,andoursup- 1983. Sincethen,wehavebecomemoreselec- in asaproductthatwasrunpriortoSeptember were abletoidentifythesamplesheetyousent be reduced. the surfacetobecometacky,andclarity riencing isduetotoomuchofthecoating,causing ing manufacture].Theproblemyouareexpe- will greatlyaffecthowthematerialruns[dur- tant tous,sincetoomuch,orlittlecoating anti-static agent.Bothpropertiesareimpor- The coatingactsasa“slipagent,”andan by oursupplier,theydoaddasurfacecoating. source. Asthepolypropylenefilmisprocessed the diminishedclaritycanbetracedtosame By notinga[certaindetailofthedesign],we The problemofthephotographsstickingand not

recommended 17 for

This document originated at on June 6, 2003 under file name: neoe n lee o im n rnsChapter14 Envelopes andSleevesforFilmsPrints in low-densitypolyethylene. tured withouttheantiblockandslipagentscommonlyused tic, withlittletendencytocling,andisnormallymanufac- sity polyethylene. the transparencyofpolyester,polypropylene,orlow-den- what similarinappearancetoglassine;itdoesnothave years inJapan andotherhumidareasinAsia buthaveonly ethylene enclosureshavebeen popularforanumberof material duringinsertionand removal.High-densitypoly- dency toscratchfilmsandprints whentheyslideoverthe high-density polyethyleneappears tohavetheleastten- surface-treated polypropylene enclosures. are superiortoconventionallow-densitypolyethyleneand density polyethyleneenclosuresleaveslittledoubtthatthey conditions. Thisauthor’sexperiencetodatewithhigh- emulsions duringlong-termstorage,especiallyinhumid density polyethylenetostickorferrotypephotographic slip agentsappeartomakeitmuchlesslikelythanlow- high-density polyethyleneandtheabsenceofantiblock the BestLow-CostEnclosureMaterial High-Density Polyethylene— sumer isatgreaterrisk. sell. Whenpurchasingprivatelabelproducts,thecon- position tomonitorthelong-termperformanceofwhatthey actually madeaprivatelabelenclosure)andareinpoor without notice(usuallythereisnowaytodeterminewho on theotherhand,maychangesourceoftheirproducts future. tent frombatchtoandperformsatisfactorilyinthe a measureofassurancethattheproductswillbeconsis- mize thechancesofsticking,andthisoffersconsumer with thesuppliersofitsmaterials,hastakenstepstomini- Qualex istheworld’slargestphotofinisher. fingerprints, scratches,andotherdamage. protection, leavingthemveryvulnerableto being stuffedintotheenvelopeswithno went topressin1992,thenegativeswere was discontinuedand,atthetimethisbook After Qualextookover,however,sleeving with theprintsforreturntocustomers. before placingthemintoenvelopestogether Qualex, LinnPhotosleevedallnegatives Industries, Inc.Beforebeingacquiredby ture betweenEastmanKodakandFuqua quired byQualexInc.,whichisajointven- polyethylene. In1992,LinnPhotowasac- superior tosleevesmadeoflow-density High-density polyethylenesleevesareclearly by manylarge-volumephotofinishinglabs. labs processingcolornegativefilmandalso protective sleevingisusedbymostmini- this photographwasmadein1991Such density polyethylene“sleevingmaterial”when Rapids, Iowa,usedrollsoflow-cost,high- large wholesalephotofinishernearCedar This automaticfilmsleeveratLinnPhoto,a High-density polyethyleneisanaturallyslipperyplas- High-density polyethyleneisatranslucentmaterial,some- Of alltheplasticsusedfor photographicenclosures, Suppliers sellingprivatelabelpolypropyleneenclosures, 18 Thesurfacepropertiesof a 1,320-footroll ofsleevingmaterialfor about $20with Noritsu AmericaCorporation ofBuenaPark,Californiasells the leastexpensiveofallfilm enclosures.Forexample, negatives fromarolloffilm have beeninserted. sleeve compartments,andcut thesleevingafterall the specifiedframe-length,insert thestripsintoindividual that automaticallyfeedsleevingmaterial,cutnegatives to than $7,000forhigh-speed,microprocessor-controlledmodels from about$500formanuallyoperatedsleeverstomore ers Labokey, andanumberofotherfirms(seelist keted byCrownPhotoSystems,Agfa-Copal,Noritsu,DOI, automatic, orhigh-speedfullyautomaticmachinesmar- — andinsertedintosleeveswithmanuallyoperated,semi- 120 filmisalsoavailable. widths in4-,5-,and6-framelengths;sleevingmaterialfor sleeving materialisavailablefor110,126,and35mmfilm with scissorsandmanuallyinsertedintothesleeves.The and insertedbymachine;negativestripscanalsobecut from thesleevingrollafternegativeshavebeencut ments necessarytoaccommodateeachrolloffilmiscut is suppliedinlargerolls.Thenumberofnegativecompart- ene sleeveisoftenreferredtointhephotofinishingtrade, “Sleeving material,”asthistypeofhigh-densitypolyethyl- of eachcompartmentopenforinsertionanegativestrip. sealed, side-by-sidenegativecompartmentswithoneend closures aremadeinJapanorTaiwanandconsistofedge- negatives inanopen-sidedyellowpaperfolder. tive enclosure;instead,Kodaluxwasreturningcustomer photofinishing labshadnotyetadoptedthistypeofnega- quality photofinishingcompaniesintheU.S. laboratory inAnaheim,Californiaandbymostotherhigh- polyethylene sleevesareusedbytheFujiphotofinishing recently becomewidelyavailableintheU.S.High-density High-density polyethylenesleeving inrollsisprobably Negatives arecut—mostcommonlyto4-framelengths Most currentlyavailablehigh-densitypolyethyleneen- At thetimethisbookwenttopressin1992,Kodalux attheendofthischapter).Costmachinesranges Suppli-

October 1991 496

This document originated at on June 6, 2003 under file name: 497 sleeves havecompartmentswhichareabout that theymaybeseparatedwithoutcutting.TheCrown which isperforatedbetweennegativecompartmentsso in avarietyofsheetandrollfilmsizes,from in removaloffilmsorprints).Theenvelopesaresupplied bottom, withoneendopen(usuallyathumb-cuttoaid name). TheenvelopesaremanufacturedinJapan. Corporation underthePolyethyleneThumb-CutEnvelope same enclosuresarealsoavailablefromLightImpressions the RPSPlastinePrintandFilmPreserversname(the variety oflow-costenvelopesmadethematerialunder United StatesisReevesPhotoSales,Inc.,whichsellsa sleeves fornegativesandprints.Amajordistributorinthe order toobtainthecorrectcompartmentlength. (4, 5,or6frames)thatwillbeusedwiththesleevesin sleeving, besuretoindicatethenumberofnegativeframes lux photofinishinglaboratories.Whenorderingrollsof unsleeved colornegativeswhichwereprocessedbyKoda- ample, wanttosleeveaseveral-yearaccumulationof at theendofthischapter.Aphotographermight,forex- of sleevingmaterialdirectlyfromonethesupplierslisted als suppliers.Photographers,however,canpurchaserolls able fromtraditionalcamerastoresanddarkroommateri- formation canbeprintedoneachsleeve. company names,logos,promotionalslogans,andotherin- service forphotofinishersandotherlarge-volumeusers— million rollsoffilm. material are,onaverage,sufficienttosleevemorethan5 mation. Crownreportsthatweeklysalesofitssleeving side ofeachcompartmenttoaccommodatewritteninfor- than mostothersleevesandhaveawhitestripealongone and superior— substituteforcommonkraft paper,glass- density polyethylenenorPVC enclosures arerecommended). made ofplasticizedPVC(as discussedlater,neitherlow- enclosures madeoflow-density polyethyleneandslidepages enclosures. Reevesalsosupplies Plastinenotebookpage 120 films.Filmsandprints must beslidinandoutofthe ene fold-uppagewithattachedpaperwalletfor35mmand frame stripof35mmfilmcostabout$45forabox1,000. closures. Forexample,Plastineenvelopeswhichholda 6- pensive, costingnomorethanmostpaperorglassineen- mation canbewrittenontheoutsideofpaperenvelope. from officesupplystores;dates,captions,andotherinfor- can beplacedinaNo.10or11letterenvelopeavailable Plastine envelopescontainingthenegativesforeachroll by photographersforagreatmanyyears.Forstorage, superior substitutesforcomparableglassineenvelopesused which accommodatesa4-framestripof120/220film,are a 6-framestripof35mmfilm,andenvelopeNo.S-00620, inches.PlastineenvelopeNo.S-00610,whichholds to 20x24 for acostofonlyabout$0.03per 660 rollsof36-exposure35mmfilmcutinto4-framelengths, roll has6,000negativesleeves—sufficientformorethan shipping additional(theminimumorderistworolls).Each h emnneadCr fClrPoorpsChapter14 The PermanenceandCareofColorPhotographs Crown PhotoSystems,Inc.suppliessleevingmaterial Plastine envelopesareedge-sealedonthesidesand High-density polyethyleneisalsousedforindividual Rolls ofhigh-densitypolyethylenesleevingarenotavail- Most suppliersofsleevingmaterialofferanimprinting High-density polyethyleneenclosures arealow-cost— Also availablefromReevesisahigh-densitypolyethyl- Plastine high-densitypolyethyleneenvelopesareinex- roll offilm. 2 1 3 ⁄ ⁄ 4 8 x -inch wider 2 1 ⁄ 4

inches low, however, mend aparticularbrand.Forthereasonsdiscussedbe- sity polyethylenesleevingmaterialtobeablerecom- accelerated testdataanduserexperiencewithhigh-den- pylene sleeves. not assatisfactorytop-flappolyesteroruntreatedpolypro- ine, andlow-densitypolyethyleneenclosures,buttheyare A readerof several yearsofstorageintypicalenvironments. tives ferrotypingandstickingtoPrintFileenclosuresafter curl backings.Inaddition,thisauthorhasobservednega- 35mm films,themajorityofwhichdonothavegelatinanti- scratches. Theproblemappearstobemostseriouswith sandwiched betweenthefilmandpolyethylenecancause in andoutoftheenclosures,smallparticlesdirt scratches causedbytheseenclosures.Filmsmustbeslid years haveindicatedaseriousproblemwithnegative low-density polyethyleneenclosuresoverthepastseveral reports receivedfrommanyusersofPrintFileandsimilar products. However,thisauthor’spersonalexperienceand contributed tothepopularityoflow-densitypolyethylene be heatsealedintomulti-compartmentenclosureshave used tomakegarbagebags)andtheeasewithwhichitcan least expensiveofallplastics—theprimaryreasonitis the semi-transparentpolyethylene. tact printsmadeinthismannerbecauseoflightscatter ever, thereisasignificantlossofimagesharpnesscon- without removingthenegativesfromenclosure;how- sufficiently transparenttopermitcontactprintsbemade tire rolloffilmcutintostrips.Low-densitypolyethyleneis enclosures arenotebookpagesdesignedtocontainanen- ing Vue-All,Inc.ofOcala,Florida. closures arealsomadebyseveralothercompanies,includ- tributors oftheenclosures).Low-densitypolyethyleneen- Schenectady isstillinoperationasoneofthemanydis- Plastic Products,Inc.—thePrintFile,locatedin company whichupuntiltheendof1987calleditselfPhoto tured byPrintFile,Inc.ofOrlando,Florida(aseparate File, Inc.ofSchenectady,NewYork,andnowmanufac- tion ofPrintFileArchivalPreservers,originatedby spread useintheU.S.mid-1960’swithintroduc- Not Recommended Low-Density PolyethyleneEnclosures— sity polyethylene. Systems, Inc.,marketsleevingmaterialmadeoflow-den- should beavoided.Afewsuppliers,includingNegaFile The verylowcostoflow-densitypolyethylene(itisthe The mostcommontypesoflow-densitypolyethylene Low-density polyethyleneenclosuresfirstcameintowide- At thetimeofthiswriting,authorhasinsufficient sleeved preserver page. sleeved preserver a singleinsertionintopreviously unused film willbescratchedonthe acetatesidefrom in aconstanttemp/humidity environment. those earlynegativestripshave become fit intothree-ringbinders.NowI’vediscovered velopes topolyethylenepreserverpageswhich nated On furtherexamination,I’ve alsofoundthat FiveyearsagoIchangedfromglassineen- tothepreserverpage—despite storage Camera low-density

35 magazine wrote: magazine polyethylenesleevingmaterial 19 lami-

This document originated at on June 6, 2003 under file name: neoe n lee o im n rnsChapter14 Envelopes andSleevesforFilmsPrints ommended in pylene, andcellulosetriacetate,isoneoftheplasticsrec- in thedark;polyethylene,alongwithpolyester,polypro- pure commonly present inpolyethylene,hascaused whitefab- containing BHT(butylatedhydroxytoluene), anantioxidant polyethylene oncolorandblack-and-white photographs. and chemicaleffectsofthe many additivesinlow-density aware ofanypublishedresearch onthelong-termphysical “uncoated” isprobablymeaningless. Thisauthorisnot friction. Asappliedtolow-densitypolyethylene,theterm forming athin,invisiblelayerthatlowersthecoefficient of manufacture andmigratetothesurfaceafterextrusion, agents areincorporatedintopolyethyleneresinduring also servetoreduceblockingandstaticelectricity.Slip improve handlinginfabricationmachinery;slipagentsmay agents. Lubricantsknownasslipagentsareadded to Wrap do.Fine-particlesilicasareoftenusedasantiblock together inthemannerthatfoodwrapssuchasSaran polyethylene sheetshaveatendencyto“grab”orstick sticking togetherduringmanufactureanduse.Untreated and antistaticadditives. antiblock agents,slippigments,flameretardants, acteristics. Theseincludeantioxidants,UVstabilizers, polyethylene resintoimproveprocessingandhandlingchar- ber ofadditivesareusuallyincorporatedintothebasic ticizers toimpartflexibility.Inpractice,however,anum- rial andlikepolyesterdoesnotrequiretheadditionofplas- silver anddyeimagesduringlong-termaging. teristics ofpolyethyleneandtheeffectsitcouldhaveon dustry considerableexperiencewiththestabilitycharac- manufacture ofRCpaperhasgiventhephotographicin- sides withpolyethyleneusingahotextrusionprocess.The coated) printsaremadewithapapercorecoatedonboth There have,however,been reportsthatpolyethylene Antiblock agentspreventsheetsofpolyethylenefrom Low-density polyethyleneisanaturallyflexiblemate- There islittleinthepublishedliteraturethatsuggests ferrotyping, ismostlikelytooccurinhumidenvironments. clearly evident.Thistypeofadhesion,oftenreferredtoas Kodak Tri-Xnegativeandthepolyethyleneenclosureare notebook-page enclosure.Areasofadhesionbetweena A close-upviewofaPrintFilelow-densitypolyethylene polyethylenecouldchemicallyharmphotographsstored ANSI

IT9.2-1991 . RC(polyethylene-resin- mined bythe products withcommonphotographicmaterials,asdeter- there areanyharmfulreactions—orstickingoftheir none indicatedthattestinghadbeendonetodetermine if ers oflow-densitypolyethylenephotographicenclosures; photographs. Thisauthorcontactedseveralmanufactur- nontransparent gradesmayalsohaveadverseeffectson tries. Pigmentsorothercoloringmaterialsaddedtothe ber oftypesandgradesbymanufacturersinmanycoun- resin manufacturers;polyethyleneismadeinavastnum- complicated bythevarietyofadditivesemployed duringmanufacture. matterisfurther polyethylene The the presenceofantiblockandslipagentsincorporated in low-density polyethyleneenclosuresisprobablyrelatedto enclosures isnotclear,butitcauseforconcern. films andprintsstoredforlongperiodsinpolyethylene cent materials.Whatimplicationsthishasforphotographic can diffuseoutofpolyethyleneandbeabsorbedbyadja- common airpollutant)orotheroxidesofnitrogen.BHT reaction involvingBHT,moisture,andnitrogendioxide(a PH1.53 low-density polyethyleneenclosuressubjectedtothe Canada (renamedtheNationalArchivesofin1987), age. rics wrappedinpolyethylenetoyellowduringdarkstor- the 122 tic enclosurematerialshas been questioned,however,as terial waspulledoff.Theapplicabilityofthistestforplas- from thepaperbasewhenpolyethyleneenclosurema- of theprintmaterialstestedthatemulsionsseparated white filmemulsionsandbecamesotightlybondedtomost ethylene enclosures haveapronouncedtendency tostick cates thatevenundernormal conditions,low-densitypoly- would notoccurundermore moderateconditions. test conditionscouldproduce ferrotypingandadhesionthat The stickingobservedwithfilmsandprintsstoredin In a1978studyundertakenbythePublicArchivesof Nevertheless, experienceover thepast10yearsindi- 20 house inGrinnell,Iowa. years ofstorageundernormalconditionsinthisauthor’s clearly visible.Thestickingoccurredafterabout5 the formofirregularglossonemulsionsurfaceis With thenegativeremovedfromitssleeve,damagein Theyellowinghasbeenattributedtoacomplex PhotographicActivityTestadheredtoblack-and- ° F (50 ANSI IT9.2-1991 ° C) temperatureand86%relative humidity PhotographicActivityTest. ANSI 498

This document originated at on June 6, 2003 under file name: 499 cally advisedagainstbyAmericanNationalStandard cized, ornonplasticizedpolyvinylchloride(PVC)isspecifi- h emnneadCr fClrPoorpsChapter 14 Not Recommended Polyvinyl Chloride(PVC)Enclosures— density polyethyleneenclosuresarenotrecommended. long-term suitability—low- their concerning questions served withtheseproducts—andthemanyunanswered tion intotheemulsion. Ink) toformbeadsontheprintsurfaceandresistabsorp- as Koh-I-Noor3080-FUniversalWaterproofBlackIndia stances fromthepolyethylenewhichcausesIndiaink(such under normalstorageconditionsabsorbunidentifiedsub- contact withlow-densitypolyethyleneforonlyafewmonths tions. Thisauthorhasalsonotedthatprintemulsionsin der thesamemoderatetemperatureandhumiditycondi- stored inpolyesterandcellulosetriacetateenclosuresun- this problemhasnotbeenobservedwithfilmsandprints to emulsionsorcauseferrotypingoftheemulsionsurface; The PermanenceandCareofColorPhotographs IT9.2-1991 Conservation Institute,reported: Scott Williams,aconservation scientistattheCanadian to PVCduringmanufacture. stabilizers, andotheradditivesarealsocommonlyadded that makePVCflexible,antiblockagents,antistatic a fewinchesfromthenose.Inadditiontoplasticizers easily smellfumesgivenoffbythematerialwhenitisheld flexible PVCenclosuresissogreatthatmostpeoplecan have adistinctodor,andtheplasticizercontentofmany made onXeroxmachines.) partial transferofelectrostaticcopierimages,suchasthose cizers inflexiblePVCwillcausesoftening,sticking,and tographs. (Evenunderlow-humidityconditions,theplasti- ditions, therebycausingadditionaldamagetostoredpho- PVC plasticizerscansupportfungusgrowthinhumidcon- appear togreatlyincreaseexudationoftheplasticizers. grate morereadilythanothers;high-humidityconditions coatings onphotographs.Sometypesofplasticizersmi- ally exudefromthePVC,depositingstickydropletsorgooey stored inhigh-humidityconditions,theplasticizerscangradu- parts plasticizerper100PVC).Particularlywhen ganic compounds,areaddedinlargeamounts(40to100 conditions. TomakePVCflexible,plasticizers,usuallyor- prints. Problemsareespeciallysevereinhumidstorage it cancontaminate,stickto,andevendestroyfilms made ofplasticizedPVC.) inch prints.Polaroidhasalsosoldprintalbumswithpages lux “premium”Magnaprint35Serviceforoversize4x6- plasticized PVCprintandnegativewalletswithitsKoda- tions toavoidPVC,since1983thecompanyhassupplied noted thatdespiteKodak’soften-repeatedrecommenda- vised thatPVCenclosuresbeavoided. Storage ofphotographsineitherplasticized,low-plasti- Because ofstickingandnumerousotherproblemsob- In a1985studyofphotographic enclosuresmaterials,R. Plasticizers commonlyusedinthemanufactureofPVC Plasticized PVChasproventobeparticularlyharmful; poly(vinyl chloride) enclosures.Inthefirstcase, damaged bystorageinphthalate plasticized I haveexaminedtwocaseswhere slideswere . 21 Kodak,Ilford,andPolaroidhavealsoad- 22,23,24 (Itshouldbe ANSI In a letter to the magazine, Shipp complained: In alettertothemagazine,Shipp introduced anextensivelineofpolypropyleneslidepages). pages intheUnitedStates(20thCenturyPlasticshassince nia firmwhichisprobablythelargestsupplierofPVCslide dent of20thCenturyPlastics,Inc.,aLosAngeles,Califor- PVC slidepagesappearedin of articlesandlettersconcernedwiththeproscons rial tomaintainrigidityinanotebook. The pagesarenormallymadeofafairlythickPVCmate- cies. Thefrontsidesofthepagesareusuallyglass-clear. sheet toprovidediffusedlightforviewingthetransparen- encies. Someofthesepageshavea“frosted”PVCbacking enclosures withindividualpocketsformountedtranspar- writer EdScully: zine. ItstartedwithaAugust1977columnby That broughtanangryreplyfromRobertD.Shipp,presi- Beginning in1977andrunningthrough1982,anumber Flexible PVCiscommonlyusedtomakenotebook-page less youhaveproof oftheharmfulnature tion andtootherslikeusin the industry.Un- harm andinjurytoourcompany anditsreputa- evaluation orcollaboration. in factnorwithoutanyempirical orscientific cerning such[PVC]products withoutanybasis most irresponsiblemannerfalsestatementscon- or prints. chlorides thatarepoisonforyourcolorslides ably getstuckwithoneofthesmellypolyvinyl products forstoringyourslides,youwillprob- stinks, don’tuseit.Ifyouinsistonhandsome if thesheetyoustoreyourslidesorprintsin attended havecometothesameconclusion— before theyescapefromtheplastic. reactions ortoscavengedegradationproducts highly compoundedwithadditivestoinhibitthese to preventthisdegradationthatPVCmustbe to produceacidichydrogenchloridegas.Itis disturbing possibilitythatthePVCmaydegrade the PVCofenclosure. and thatthesecomponentswerealsofoundin monly asheatstabilizersinpoly(vinylchloride), of thetypeusedaslubricantsormorecom- showed ittobecomposedofcarboxylatesalts have thewaxyfilm.Analysisoffilm Unglassed slidesinthesameenclosuredonot with glasscoversshowthisphenomenon. slides withprotectiveglasscovers.Only age. slide arevisibleasdisfiguringspotsontheim- closures. Whenprojected,thedropletson those containedinthepoly(vinylchloride)en- identified asphthalateplasticizersidenticalto oily dropletswereformedonslides.These Mr. Scully’sarticlehascaused irreparable . wefeelthatMr.Scullyhassetforthina All oftheconferences[onpreservation]I’ve In addition,thereisthefurther,oftencited, In thesecondcase,awaxyfilmformedon 26 Modern

Photography 25 all Modern maga-

This document originated at on June 6, 2003 under file name: neoe n lee o im n rnsChapter14 Envelopes andSleevesforFilmsPrints to references (including rial directorandpublisherof had theproofthatmagazinewaslookingfor: against the use ofPVC,andconcluded: against the Modern A fewmonthslater,in1980,PaulA.Elias,wrotealetter To whichthemagazinereplied: In itsdefensethemagazinecitedalistofliterature In August1981,HerbertKeppler,atthetimeedito- parencies. However,theyhavenot mend polyvinylchloridesheetsforstoringtrans- experts haveindicatedthattheydonotrecom- and candamage theslides. dency toleachout,particularly withhumidity, contributes tothepages’flexibility, hasaten- would appearthattheplasticizer inPVCwhich Kodak described.Itcanand doeshappen.It caused damagedtotheslides therein,justas slide storagepagessentme byreadershave chemists feelisproofpositivethatsomePVC PVC pageswillharmallslides,Inowhavewhat PVC, proorcon, and whenthereisadditionalinformationon as always,thusremainswiththepurchaser.If choice touseornotanyspecificproduct, to films,slidesorprintscausedbyPVC.)The single reportanywhereintheworldofdamage about it,wesearchedfor,butcouldnotfind,a rious effectswerenoted.(Andbeingpractical tests inparticularduringwhichtimenodelete- . butthat20thCenturyPlasticshasmade avoided be should theory general in PVC that because God [Eastman Kodak]saidso? need toseedeadbodies,ordoyounowbelieve tics fromyourlistofadvertisers?Doyoustill slides —howaboutdropping20thCenturyPlas- — thatpolyvinylchloridecananddoesdamage ists havebeensayingforthelastseveralyears Kodak Company]hasconfirmedwhatwechem- we you suggest,itisourconsideredopinionthat anything! Beforewetakethesternmeasures article. . mediate retractionbyMr.Scullyofhiseditorial Polyvinyl Chloridematerials,wedemandanim- will notbechanged. sheets, anduntilwedoour advertising policy damage claimedtobefromPVCslidestorage see asinglesetorevenonetransparencywith hasn’t materialized.Inshortwehaveyetto Yes, indeed,Mr.Elias,EastmanKodak’sfilm While Idonotbelieveforaninstantthatall Now thattheGreatYellowFather[Eastman It seemsto do saying: needthe“smokinggun”andsofar,it 27 Modern ANSI Modern

thattheexpertsagree PH1.43-1971 Modern willpublishit.

Photography, ) whichadvised confirmed 28 finally plasticizer onone’s hands. moving slidesfromdeteriorated pagestoavoidgetting surfaces. Disposablegloves should bewornwhenre- deposits ofgooeyplasticizerremain adheredtothefilm When aslideisremovedfromthe page,image-damaging mount surfacesarereadilyapparent. page, theslimydropletsofplasticizeronfilmand When viewedinlightreflectedoffthesurfaceofslide moved andupgradeditsfacility. tos, Inc.'sNewYorkCityofficein1983,beforetheagency page wasdiscoveredinthecollectionofMagnumPho- has exudedontothesurfaceofKodachromeslides.This A plasticizedPVCslidepageinwhichgooeyplasticizer

1983 500

This document originated at on June 6, 2003 under file name: 501 tems arediscussedinChapter18.18alsoin- PVC enclosuresareglass-clear). thinner gaugeandaresomewhatmilkyinappearance;the the enclosure(polyethyleneenclosuresareusuallyofa photograph ordirectcontactprintingofnegativesthrough scribed polyethyleneenclosuresandpermitviewingofthe prints. Theyareofsimilardesigntothepreviouslyde- signed tocontainnegatives,colortransparencystrips,and of othermanufacturersareplasticizedPVCenclosuresde- cized PVC(andthecompanycontinuedtoadvertisein Century Plasticsproductscontinuetobemadeofplasti- names. Atthetimeofthiswriting,however,many20th Super-heavyweight, EZ2CHeavyweight,andCentury-Poly line ofproducts—thepagesaresoldunderEZ2C “archival” polypropylenenotebook-pageenclosurestoits the situation. PVC, andthathigh-humidityconditionstendtoexacerbate exudation ofplasticizersistheprimaryproblemflexible the sameconclusionreachedbyKeppler:namely,that sold itssubscriptionlistto Photography h emnneadCr fClrPoorpsChapter14 The PermanenceandCareofColorPhotographs Practical aspectsofslidepagesandstoragesys- Also availablefrom20thCenturyPlasticsandanumber In 1983,20thCenturyPlastics,Inc.addedanumberof This author’sexperiencewithplasticizedPVCpointsto an acrylicplastic filmwasher. darkroom, thisPVChosebegan todripplasticizeronto cized PVC.Afterabout15years ofstorageinthisauthor’s pages, butcanoccurwithmany typesofheavilyplasti- Exudations ofplasticizerarenot restrictedtoPVCslide to beexonerated. larly whenpaidforbytheveryoneswhohope ated tests,Ifeel,arequestionable—particu- them underhumidconditions—andacceler- slide damagecausedbyPVC.Few,ifany,ran edly independentlabsproposingtoshowno called acceleratedscientifictestsrunbyalleg- A numberofPVCpagemakershavehadso- untilthemagazineceasedpublicationand 29 Popular

Photography in1990). Modern is thisauthor'sprimaryrecommendationforslidepages.) (The 20thCenturyPlasticsEZ2CSuper-heavyweightpage the onlytypeofslidepagerecommendedbythisauthor. cludes alistingofsupplierspolypropyleneslidepages— recommended thatthemostsuitablematerialforsuchen- problems withallofthembutaftersomeinvestigation, being usedtostoreastronomicalglassplates.Hefound ied thevariouspaperandplasticenclosurematerialsthen the YerkesObservatoryinWilliamsBay,Wisconsin,stud- does Tyvek. cantly moredust(composedofbitspaperfiber)than than paper.Withuse,paperappearstogeneratesignifi- and thickness,Tyvekismuchstrongertear-resistant floppy disks,andmanyotherproducts;foragivenweight mailing envelopes,protectivestoragejacketsforcomputer lar materialshavebeenusedextensivelyforhigh-strength sure tomakeanopaquepaper-likesheet.Tyvekandsimi- density polyethylenefibersbondedunderheatandpres- DuPont Tyvek—MoreTestingNeeded In 1972W.F.vanAltena,whoatthetimewasworking Tyvek isasyntheticmaterialmadeofverythinhigh- the acrylicplastic. plasticizer causedseveresurface cracking(crazing)of Oozing downtheinsideof filmwashercolumn,the

This document originated at on June 6, 2003 under file name: Barbara Morgan neoe n lee o im n rnsChapter14 Envelopes andSleevesforFilmsPrints mented withvarious typesofadhesives.These materials made ofglassineorbrownkraft paperwiththeseamsce- sures becamepopular,most envelopesandsleeveswere Most AreUnsatisfactory Paper andGlassineEnclosures — velopes wasTyvek. lished, thisauthorsuggeststhatTyvekenclosuresbeavoided. identified gradesofTyvekandsuitableadhesivesarepub- tographs. However,untiltheresultsoftestingspecific, substitute forhigh-qualitypaperenvelopesstoringpho- cementing it,thematerialmayprovetobeasatisfactory it. UponfurthertestingofbothTyvekandadhesivesfor hood ofscratcheswhenprintsandnegativesslideagainst sheet filmsizes. they arenotcommerciallyavailableinnormalrollfilmand are nowinuseatseveralobservatories;however,asyet cementing theseamsofenvelopes.Tyvekenvelopes adhesive No.47-SU291,apolyvinylacetateadhesive,for terials werereported.VanAltenasuggesteduseofPaisley test films.Notestswithsilver-gelatinblack-and-whitema- that thematerialhadnoeffectondyestabilityof and 28daysat140 contact withseveraltypesofprocessedcolorfilmsfor14 Kodak conductedacceleratedagingstudieswithTyvekin ballpoint pens,butnotwithpencils.AccordingtovanAltena, caused bygluedseamsinglassineenvelopes. center oftheimage.Damagethistypealsohasbeen in thelight(minus-density)bandrunningthrough in contactwiththeseam;whenprinted,stainresulted lope. Thiscausedayellowishstainintheareathatwas resting againstthegluedseamincenterofenve- was storedformorethan30yearswiththeemulsionside Museum ofModernArtinNewYorkCity.Thenegative was directoroftheDepartmentPhotographyat raphy historianBeaumontNewhall.Thenage33,Newhall envelope. Theportrait,byBarbaraMorgan,isofphotog- 1942 thatwasdamagedbybeingstoredinakraftpaper A recentcontactprintofa4x5-inchnegativemadein Until thelate1970’s,whenplastic photographicenclo- The softsurfaceofTyvekappearstominimizethelikeli- ° 30 F (60 Thematerialcanbewrittenonwith ° C) and70%RH,concluded is specificallyadvisedagainstby age causedbyglassineorkraftpaperenclosures.Glassine graphs, andmostoldercollectionshaveexamplesofdam- are generallyunsuitableforlong-termstorageofphoto- Eastman Kodak. tograph inthe seamareawhentheenclosures arestacked pieces ofpaperthick,added pressure isplacedonthepho- storage conditions.Because theoverlappedseamistwo staining andfadingofphotographs, especiallyinhumid center. Theadhesive,whichis oftenhygroscopic,cancause glassine envelopeswhichhave acementedseaminthe previously. sity polyethyleneenclosures,whichhavebeendiscussed low-cost substitutesforglassineenvelopesarehigh-den- glassine shouldalsobeavoided.Themostsatisfactory Barbara Morgan) aged bystorageinkraftpaperenvelopes.(Courtesy of dancerandchoreographerMarthaGraham,weredam- negatives, includingsomeofherwell-knownphotographs not haveoccurred.AsignificantnumberofMorgan’s relative humidityenvironment,damageprobablywould high; hadthenegativesbeenstoredinaconstant,low the summermonthsrelativehumidityfrequentlywas home outsideNewYorkCity.Asinmosthomes,during the gluedseam.ThenegativeshadbeenstoredinMorgan’s was notharmedbecausetheemulsionfaced stored inanidenticalenvelope.Inthiscase,thenegative A printfromanothernegativemadeatthesametimeand Particular problemshavebeen notedwithpaperand 31 So-called“acid-free”alkaline-buffered ANSI IT9.2-1991 away from andby

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1987 1987 h emnneadCr fClrPoorpsChapter14 The PermanenceandCareofColorPhotographs and theoldenvelopes werecopiedontothenew ones. 4x5-inch andlargernegative envelopes wasobtained, lopes, aCanonofficecopier that couldaccommodate inscriptions andmarkingsonthe originalnegativeenve- To speedtheresleevingproject andalsotoretainall quality paperenvelopes. polyester sleeves,whichinturnhavebeenputhigh- removed fromtheiroriginalenclosuresandplacedin age vault.Oldernegativesstoredinthevaulthavebeen D.C., isshowninthePhotographicServices’coldstor- Services attheSmithsonianInstitutioninWashington, James Wallace,Jr.,directorandcuratorofPhotographic #267–15 (55%) ton, D.C. has describedsomeoftheproblems: ton, D.C. Eugene OstroffoftheSmithsonianInstitutioninWashing- films inlong-termstorage,especiallyhumidconditions. enclosures aremadecanbeverydamagingtoprintsand will considerablyslowdeterioration. relative humidityinthestorageareabetween25%and40% sions areincontactwiththecementedseam.Keeping tives reorientedifnecessarysothatnoneofthefilmemul- area. Oldcollectionsshouldbeexaminedandthenega- to theseamavoidemulsioncontactwithadhesive type ofenclosureshouldhavethebasesidefilmnext vates problemswiththeadhesive.Negativesfiledinthis or placedtightlyinboxes.Thelocalizedpressureaggra- ANSI The low-qualitypaperandglassinewithwhichmany bris fromthecabinet. de- making newentries,refiling, andcleaning quently, additionallaborcosts areincurredby formation writtenontheenvelopes. Conse- products alsomightdestroy allcatalogingin- damaging theimage,these degenerativeby- falls apartattheslightesttouch. Asidefrom or leachout);thepaperbecomesbrittleand ingredients areimpermanent(theyvolatilize plasticizers andotheradditives.Manyofthese erties, characteristicsthatareheightenedwith bers thatenhancetranslucencyandflexingprop- fragile thankraft,ismadefrom“hydrated”fi- brittle anddisintegrate.)Glassinepaper,more all observed,kraftenvelopesquicklybecome generate destructiveperoxides.(Aswehave age-damaging ingredients,suchaslignin,which tionally usedforstoringnegativescontainim- same purity. sequent batcheswillcontainingredientsofthe age purposes,thereisnoassurancethatsub- adhesive isfoundtobesafeforlong-termstor- “sulfur-free” rubberscontainsulfur. stabilizer. Evensome“low-desensitizing”or ing sulfur,usuallyavulcanizer,accelerator,or be compoundedwithphotographicallydamag- harmful solventsorplasticizers,buttheymight rubber cement.Notonlymighttheycontain ucts shouldbeavoided. tivity. Pressure-sensitiveandether-linkedprod- increasing thepossibilityoflocalchemicalac- prints. Variousadhesivesarehygroscopic,thus image silver,gelatin,orthepapersupportof copper, orotheringredientsthatmightattack incorporating impuritiessuchassulfur,iron, graphic imagescanbedamagedbyadhesives activity testoutlinedin5.1..Somephoto- filter paperandshallpassthephotographic hesive shallbeappliedtoWhatmanNumber1 ful effectonthephotographicimages.Thead-

The brownkraftnegativeenvelopestradi- If aparticularbrandofcommerciallymade Avoid usingrubber-baseproductssuchas If anadhesiveisused,itshallhavenoharm- IT9.2-1991 32 saysthefollowingaboutadhesives: 33

This document originated at on June 6, 2003 under file name: 1987 neoe n lee o im n rnsChapter14 Envelopes andSleevesforFilmsPrints within 6months. detected inaslittle90daysandwasfrequentlyobserved Type 2447;theyellowdyefadingcouldinsomecasesbe yellow dyelossonKodakEktachromeDuplicatingFilm cemented seamsonglassineenvelopescausedlocalized Center inSiouxFalls,SouthDakota,reported1979that at theEarthResourcesObservationSystems(EROS)Data Adams forhisnegatives). the samemethodofstoragethat wasusedbythelateAnsel envelopes, wereadoptedfor theresleevingproject(thisis top-flap), placedinhigh-stability alkaline-bufferedpaper consultant workingforNASA, polyesterfolders(withouta Center inHouston,Texas.On theadviceofNoelLamar,a the NASAFilmRepositoryatLyndonB.JohnsonSpace lection ofcolorandblack-and-whitephotographsstored at in glassineandcellulosetriacetateenclosuresthecol- more than600,000stillphotographsthatwerebeingstored tration (NASA)beganamassiveprojecttoresleevethe velopes. its collectionandreplacedthemwithpaperTyveken- EROS DataCenterdiscardedalltheglassineenvelopes in James McCord,chiefofthephotographiclaboratories The resleevingprojectinvolvedmorethan600,000items. curator ofvisualresourcesattheJohnsonSpaceCenter. protective paperenvelopes.WithWhittedisGarySeloff, into newpolyestersleeves,whicharetheninserted original glassineandacetatesleevesplacesthefilms Texas, removesnegativesandtransparenciesfromtheir tory attheLyndonB.JohnsonSpaceCenterinHouston, Barbara Whitted,atechnicianattheNASAFilmReposi- General requirements forpapersuitable photographic In 1987,theNationalAeronauticsandSpaceAdminis- 34 Aftertheproblemwasdetected, lation, nylon threadonanordinarysewingmachine. by whichshesewstwosheetsofpolyestertogetherwith Jane BoothoftheSanDiegoHistoricalSocietyhasamethod purpose). Coated FilmTapeNo.415isusuallyrecommendedforthis double-sided pressure-sensitivetapes(3MScotchDouble- which arejoinedtoeachotherontheedgeswithspecial IT9.2-1991 and prints. adhesives tobeusedwithblack-and-whiteandcolorfilms accelerated testsforpaperenclosures,mountboards,and reader isalsoreferredtoChapter13foradiscussionof white andcolormaterialthatistobestoredinit.The Photographic ActivityTestwitheverytypeofblack-and- must beacceptablewhentestedbythe paper envelopeismadewithgluedseams,theadhesive filing enclosuresarediscussedinChapter13.Whena Sometimes Useful Encapsulation ofPhotographs— tographs anddocuments,referto tions (fordetailedinstructionsonhowtoencapsulatepho- extensively attheLibraryofCongressandotherinstitu- of theencapsulatedprint.Encapsulationhasbeenused sided tape;overtimetheadhesivemightcontactedge migration oftheadhesivebeyondedgesdouble- concern hasbeenexpressedaboutthepossibilityoflateral particularly effectiveifthephotographisfragile.Some open oneedgeoftheencapsulation.Thistechniquecanbe double-sided tapeandcanreadilyberemovedbycutting sives werenotyetcommerciallyavailable. suggested designandmadewithtestedpapersadhe- time ofthiswriting,high-qualityenvelopestheANSI- used incombinationwithtop-flappolyestersleeves.Atthe International, Inc., tobeveryconvenient. Polyweld ModelB-50devicesold byConservationResources find anelectricallyoperated sealingmachine,suchasthe other typesofpolyesterenclosures onalargescalewill with pressure-sensitivetapes areavoided. number ofsmallerprints.In addition,potentialproblems enclosures withmultiplecompartmentsforstorageof a the requirementsofherfiles.Itisalsopossibletomake lored tothesizeandproportionsofindividualprints to ing enableshertoquicklymakeenclosuresthataretai- ommended byKodak. envelope; polyvinylacetate(PVA)adhesiveshavebeenrec- tial forconnectingtheseam-flapstooutsideof print. Anonreactiveandnonhygroscopiccementisessen- and minimizinglocalizedpressureontheenclosedfilmor the topandbothsides,therebypromotingevenstacking terior andprovidesthreeuniformthicknessesofpaperon avoid agluedseam.Thisdesignresultsinsmoothin- usually restsagainstthebottom,bottomisfoldedto out dustanddirt.Becauseaphotographinanenvelope overlapping, andanungummedtop-flapisprovidedtokeep seams areneeded—oneoneachside.Thenon- As analternativetodouble-sidedpressure-sensitivetape, Photographs maybeplacedbetweentwopolyestersheets A paperenvelopebasedonthedesignsuggestedin Institutions whichencapsulate photographsorfabricate publishedbytheLibraryofCongress 36 isshownin Thephotographitselfisnotincontactwiththe 35 Figure 14.2 Ideally,thisenvelopewouldbe Polyester . Onlytwonarrowglued ANSI IT9.2-1991

Film 37 38 ). Thestitch-

Encapsu- ANSI 504

This document originated at on June 6, 2003 under file name: 505 h emnneadCr fClrPoorpsChapter 14 Notes andReferences The PermanenceandCareofColorPhotographs 1 LightImpressionsCorporationsuppliesa matchedsetofpolyester 11. Pre-madeenclosuresofthistype,withan opentop,areavailable 10. .SuitablepapersincludeAtlantisSilversafePhotostore(a100%cot- 2. Seamsofcellulosetriacetatesleevescanbecementedwithasol- 1. .“OaklandFireResultsinNewStorageIdeas,” 4. EastmanKodakCompany, 3. .Sleevesshouldbemadeof 6. ThomasO.Taylor,“IdentificationandUseofPlasticMaterialsfor 5. .W.J.Barrow,“MigrationofImpuritiesinPaper,” 8. P.Z.AdelsteinandJ.L.McCrea,“StabilityofProcessedPolyester 7. .Photofile,Inc.andtheHollingerCorporation,amongothers,sell 9. of Mylar advertised thatitiswillingtohandlesmallordersforspecialdesigns make sleevesofthistypeonspecialorder.Onefirmwhichhas not beusedforfilmsorprints.Anumberofplasticsfabricatorscan properly accommodatetherelativelythickplates;thesesleevesshould made forglassplatesshouldhavefoldsofamuchlargerradiusto have atendencytoslipoutofthesleeveduringhandling.Sleeves the fabricatorneedfor ing sleevesmadebycustomplasticsfabricators. be stressedwhenpurchasingpolyestersheetmaterialorhav- specified, andtheimportanceofusinganuncoatedproductshould sleeves andfolders;thecompanydiscontinued years LightImpressionsCorporationalsosoldMylarType sleeves arehighlyabrasiveandshouldbeavoided.Foranumberof products, whichcontainasilicondioxidemattingagent.These Atlantis PaperCompany,Ltd.,No.2St.AndrewsWay,London 8986; toll-free:800-333-4466.SilversafePhotostoreismadebythe Caesar Place,Moonachie,NewJersey07074;telephone:201-804- supplied intheU.S.byArchivartDivisionofHeller&Usdan,Inc.,7 ton fiberpaper)andArchivartPhotographicStoragePaper,both ine envelopes. problems encounteredwiththegluesusedinmanypaperandglass- less tophotographskeptinsuchenclosuresandavoidsthesortsof mented topandbottomseams.Solventbondingisprobablyharm- Kodak TransparentSleeves,madeofcellulosetriacetate,havece- triacetate dissolvedinmethylenechlorideorothersuitablesolvent. vent suchasmethylenechlorideoracementcomposedofcellulose 3 Publication No. Friends ofPhotography, York, August1979,p.31. at thetimeofmanufacture.SeeChapter13forfurtherdiscussion. tion. Allofthesepapersarenonbufferedandhaveanear-neutralpH storage applicationsandsuppliedbyLightImpressionsCorpora- satisfactory isRenaissancePaper,apaperintendedforphotographic Mylar delphia, Pennsylvania,February2,1985. Conservation PhotographicMaterialsGroupWinterMeeting,Phila- Photographic Storage,”presentationattheAmericanInstitutefor allows dusttoenter. ThebasicideabehindtheNegaGuard system name. However,theenvelopesare ofanopen-topdesignwhich sleeves, polyesterfolders,andpaper envelopesundertheNegaGuard by thisauthor;aminimumorderof 25enclosuresisrequested. free 800-821-5948.Thefirmwillcustom makethedesigndescribed enue, LosAngeles,California90038; telephone:213-651-1950;toll- from JerrySolomonGalleryServices, Inc.,960NorthLaBreaAv- 1988. Box 406,Lima,Pennsylvania19037;telephone:215-459-3099. were damaged.Mylar was discoveredbeforeanyofthenegativesstoredinsleeves during storageinthisauthor’sdarkroom.Fortunately,theproblem apparent whenthesleevesstartedfirmlystickingtothemselves ter wasspecified.Thefactthatthepolyestercoatedbecame made ofacoatedpolyester—eventhoughuncoatedMylarpolyes- photographic images.Sleevesorderedbythisauthorin1974were photographs storedinthemandmayproducechemicaldamageto These coatingsmaycausethesleevestostickeachotheror coatings arehygroscopic,creatingahighsurface-moisturelevel. Some coatingsgivethesheetsantistaticproperties.Manyofthese sealed, ortoacceptprintinginksanddyesothertreatments. variety ofsurfacecoatingswhichallowittobecemented,heat- zine, gineering, Base PhotographicFilms,” polyester sleeves,madewithDuPontMylarType 1953, pp.105–108. PA If itisnecessarytohavesleevesspeciallymade,emphasize See also:“AClearConnectionwiththePast,” , England;telephone:011-44-71-537-2727.Alsobelievedtobe Vol.76,No.6,November–December1982,pp.10–11. D or D polyesterenclosuresistheTaylorMadeCompany,P.O. Vol.7,No.6,December1981,pp.160–167. ICI Melinex516.Polyestersheetissoldwithawide F -30, EastmanKodakCompany,Rochester,New D orasimilaruncoatedpolyesterfilmmustbe Vol.5,No.12,December1982. tight Journal ofAppliedPhotographicEn- Preservation ofPhotographs, uncoated foldssothatthefilmorprintwillnot polyester,suchasDuPont Newsletter ofthe Archivum EB EB DuPont Maga- -11 sleevesin -11 orsimilar , Vol.3, , Kodak EB -11 E 3 3 AmericanNationalStandardsInstitute,Inc., 13. Probably thefirstsupplierofpolypropylenephotographicenclo- 12. 5 LisaOverton,Kleer-VuPlasticsCorporation,telephonediscussion 15. AmericanNationalStandardsInstitute,Inc.,seeNoteNo.13.The 14. 5 R.ScottWilliams,“CommercialStorageand FilingEnclosuresfor 25. 9 RobertHagle,“ANegativeonFiling,”lettertotheeditorin 19. 8 ClydeV.Detter,“Films,Polyethylene,High-Density,”in 18. JackVerMeulen,QualityControlManager,C-LineProducts,Inc., 17. TheC-Linepolypropylenenotebookpageenclosurewhichstuckto 16. 4 PolaroidCorporation, 24. 3 Ilford,Inc., 23. EastmanKodakCompany,seeNoteNo.3, p.9. 22. AmericanNationalStandardsInstitute,Inc., seeNoteNo.13. 21. KennethC.Smeltz,“WhyDoWhiteFabricsandGarmentsTurn 20. necticut 06504-1070;telephone:203-562-7800. Norton PhotographicAntiques,P.O.Box1070,NewHaven,Con- stereo viewsandcarte-de-visitephotographsareavailablefromRussell sures arenotrecommendedforotherthanmountedslides. made Kleer-Vu’sslidepages.Polypropylenenotebook-pageenclo- cates itsownpolypropyleneprintandfilmenclosures;C-Linehas Kleer-Vu PlasticsCorporation,andothers.fabri- been soldunderprivatelabelsbyLightImpressionsCorporation, tives, andprintsinvariousformats.CertainC-Lineproductshave (coated) polypropylenenotebookpagesformountedslides,nega- sures wasC-LineProducts,Inc.Thefirmproducessurface-treated is soundandithopedthattheenvelopeswillbeimproved. sheet usedtomakeKleer-Vusleevesisuntreated Line sleevesweresoldunderthePoly-Proname.Thepolypropylene with thisauthor,August31,1983.Whenintroducedin1983,Pro- ate fortheevaluationofplasticstoragematerials. perature andhighrelativehumidityemployed,maynotbeappropri- simple testwhich,becauseofthecombinationelevatedtem- Photographic ActivityTestdescribedintheStandardisarelatively graphic Plates, National StandardPracticeforStorageofProcessedPhoto- National StandardsInstitute,Inc., telephone: 212-642-4900;Fax:212-302-1286.Seealso:American Institute, Inc.,11West42ndStreet,NewYork,York10036; Technology inRochester,NewYork.)AmericanNationalStandards at theImagePermanenceInstituteRochesterof based onworkdonebyJamesM.ReillyandDouglasW.Nishimura includes anewversionofthePhotographicActivityTestwhichis for Storage Films, Plates,andPapers—FilingEnclosuresContainers National StandardforImagingMedia—PhotographicProcessed 3ppm); T500alsopassesthePhotographicActivityTest( sium: TheStability andPreservationofPhotographic Images, Processed PhotographicMaterials,” tion, Cambridge,Massachusetts,1983, p.29. 35, Publishing Company,DesPlaines,Illinois,1985,p.62. Encyclopedia &Yearbook—1985, letter tothisauthor,December12,1984. during thewinter. hot andhumidduringthesummermonths—cooldry the topfloorofanon-air-conditionedbuilding,apartmentwas photographs wasstoredinaNewYorkCityapartment.Situatedon and-white andcolormaterials. apparently wasperformedonlywithalimitednumberofolderblack- is thesameasSec.5.1in1986revisionof 1978 cm Peroxide Content—notdetectable(limitofdetection0.015mcg/ Hydrogen —none;thisisexpectedinviewofthepHresults; T500 filmsareneutralandthereforehaveapHof7.0; dent testlabandtheresultswereasfollows: T500 untreatedpolypropylenefilmshavebeentestedatanindepen- paper andpaperboardstorageenvelopesorcontainers.Hercules tent andperoxidelevelisaresultofpastproblemswithglassine, materials andarchivaldocuments.ConcernaboutpH,sulfurcon- interest tocustomersconcernedwithprotectionofphotographic Inc. inNorcross,Georgia,toldKleer-Vuthat:“Thisinformationisof time, Mr.Gravesiscurrentlyprocesssystemsmanager)ofHercules, February 9,1983,HenryK.Graves(districtsalesmanageratthe factured byHercules,Inc.inWilmington,Delaware.Inaletterdated Photographs: AGuide, New Jersey07652,1979,p.16. April 1983,pp.17–21. Growing Problem,” Yellow DuringStorageinPolyethyleneBagsandWrappings?—A 2 Vol.35,No.12,December1980,p.6. Sleeves madeofpolypropyleneanddesignedtoaccommodate ); Section6.1).”ThePhotographicActivityTestreferredtohere (4 ) SulfurContent—notdetectable(limitofdetection Ilford Galerie, . (ThisStandard,whichreplaced Sec.3.3,p.7. Textile ChemistandColorist, Storing, HandlingandPreserving Polaroid PublicationNo.P2064,PolaroidCorpora- Ilford,Inc.,West70CenturyRoad,Paramus, ANSI PH WilliamC.Simms,ed.,Cahners Second InternationalSympo- ANSI IT (1) 1.45-1981, American ANSI PH ANSI PH 9.2-1991, American pH—heavygauge T Vol.15,No.4, 500 filmmanu- ANSI PH 1.53; Packaging 1.53-1986 (2) Camera thetest Active 1.53- (3) ,

This document originated at on June 6, 2003 under file name: neoe n lee o im n rnsChapter14 Envelopes andSleevesforFilmsPrints 4 JamesMcCord, 34. EugeneOstroff, 33. AmericanNationalStandardsInstitute,Inc.,seeNoteNo.13. 32. W. F.vanAltena,“ReportoftheSubgrouponStorageAstronomi- Gary Albright,“WhichEnvelope?SelectingStorageEnclosuresforPho- 7 PreservationOfficeoftheLibraryCongress, 37. W.F. vanAltena,“EnvelopesfortheArchivalStorageofProcessed 30. 8 Paul A. Elias,“LettertotheEditor,” 28. Joan Agranoff,ed., Additional References Forencapsulationusingsheetsofuncoatedpolyester,suchasDu- 36. EastmanKodakCompany,seeNoteNo.31,p.97. 35. 31. EastmanKodakCompany, RobertD.Shipp,“LettertotheEditor,” 27. EdScully, “Preservation,Duplicating,TemperatureControl—DidI 26. Calvin J.Benning, 8 JaneBooth,SanDiegoHistoricalSociety,telephonediscussionwith 38. 9 Herbert Keppler,“WhyChanceDamagingSlidesin 29. J. H.BristonandL.Katan, Helen D.Burgess,“Evaluationof Paper Products:WithSpecialRefer- October 1980,pp.2450–2454.Also:EdReiter,“Little‘ p. 14. tions, March 1985,p.95. T. Eaton,editor),EastmanKodakCompany,Rochester,NewYork, systems, whichoriginatemanyoftheimagesprocessedby the Interior.ThetwoorbitingLandsatsatellitesandassociated ter isoperatedbytheU.S.GeologicalSurvey,Departmentof cal PlatesforArchivalPurposes,” tographs,” capsulation, end ofthischapterforaddresses). Impressions CorporationandTalasInc.(see 8202. Thistapeisavailablefrommanysuppliers,includingLight EROS Astronomical Photographs,” Modern Photography, rosion: TheProblemofStorage,” decomposition ofpolyvinylchloridesee:ThomasW.Sharpless,“Cor- For discussionofthepossibleformationhydrochloricacidby Answers), See also:RobertE.Mayer,“OilyDropletsonSlides,”(inImagesand Kilworth Lane,Springfield,Virginia22151;telephone:703-642-9090. ries), IS&T,TheSocietyforImagingScienceandTechnology,7003 Ottawa, Ontario,August25–28,1985,(PrintingofTranscriptSumma- 7E-01 —3 ommended: 3 System ( view withthisauthorduringvisittoEarthResourcesObservation 61, No.10 Vol. 42,No.1,January1978,pp.6,8. Pont Mylar acquired bytheGeneralElectricCompanyinlate1985). paper envelopes. of theenvelopeswasreportedtobesimilarthathigh-quality pany, 2930SouthVailAvenue,LosAngeles,California90040.Cost Alston Avenue,Chicago,Illinois60630,andCoastEnvelopeCom- Envelopes, DivisionofGeorgia-PacificLumberCompany,5445North 18–19. ThearticlelistedtwosourcesforTyvekenvelopes:MailWell raphy, Answering YourLettersAboutRecentColumns,” Ever GetMyFootinMouthRecordTime!NowtoItOutBy venture ofHughesAircraftCompanyand 18, 1985totheEarthObservationSatelliteCompany(Eosat),ajoint January 25,1981,Sec. Can CauseBigProblems,”(Numismatics), pp. 15–17. Carol Brower,December10,1982. No. 8,August1980,p.83. Co., Inc.,Lancaster,Pennsylvania,1983. telephone: 202-232-6636. vation, Suite340,140016thStreet, N.W.,Washington,D.C.20036; 1991, pp.96–105.Availablefromthe AmericanInstituteforConser- graphic MaterialsGroupoftheAmerican InstituteforConservation, Preservation –VolumeFour ence toUsewithPhotographicMaterials,” Group Limited,Harlow,England,1983. in associationwiththePlasticsand RubberInstitute),Longman DataCenter,weresoldbytheU.S.GovernmentonOctober AmericanAssociationofMuseums,Washington,D.C.,1976, Vol.41,No.8,August1977,pp.47ff. EROS A M Photomethods, Picturescope, , McGraw-HillInc.,NewYork,1984. D Center,St.Paul,Minnesota55144;telephone:612-733- , 3 LibraryofCongress,Washington,D.C.,1980. M ) DataCenter,December1979.The Plastic FilmsforPackaging, Company,IndustrialSpecialtiesDivision,Bldg.220- M Conserving andRestoringPhotographicCollec- EROS Modern PlasticsEncyclopedia1984/1985, ScotchDouble-CoatedFilmTapeNo.415isrec- DataCenter,SiouxFalls,SouthDakota,inter- D Vol.45,No.8,August1981,pp.68–70. Plastics Films, , p.35. Vol.31,No.4,Winter1985,pp.111–113. Conservation ofPhotographs Vol.27,No.9,September1984,p.52. AAS (compiledbyRobinE.Siegel),Photo- The Numismatist, Photo-Bulletin, AAS Modern PhotographyMagazine, Modern Photography, Photo-Bulletin, 2nded.,(GeorgeGoodwin RCA Topics inPhotographic The NewYorkTimes, TechnomicPublishing Corporation( Suppliers Polyester FilmEn- Modern Photog- No.1,1975,pp. EROS Vol.93,No.10, PVC PVC No.2,1972, DataCen- listatthe Pages?”, ’ Holders (George RCA Vol.44, Vol. was Lloyd R.Whittington, Debbie HessNorris,“TheProperStorageandDisplayofaPhotographic Dan O’Neill,“FilingSlidesandNegs,” Margaret Hobbie,“PaperandPlasticPreserversforPhotographicPrints Klaus B.Hendriks,togetherwithBrianThurgood,JoeIraci,Lesser, T. J.Collings, Mary LynnRitzenthaler,“StorageEnclosuresforPhotographicMateri- James M.Reilly,DouglasW.Nishimura,LuisPavao,andPeterZ.Adel- James M.ReillyandDouglasW.Nishimura,“ImprovementsinTest Mary KayPorter,“FilingEnclosuresforBlackandWhiteNegatives,” sylvania, 1978. Plastics Engineers),TechnomicPublishingCo.,Inc.,Lancaster,Penn- American Archivists, Collection,” No. 9,September1982,pp.38,40,43. 42–45. and Negatives,” Canada M4S2P5;telephone:416-322-5113;Fax:416-484-9512. from LugusProductionsLtd.,48FalconStreet,Toronto,Ontario, Canada andtheCommunicationGroup,1991.Available Lugus PublicationsincooperationwiththeNationalArchivesof tals ofPhotographicConservation:AStudyGuide and GregHilloftheNationalArchivesCanadastaff, S1 4PL,England,1986. Information LeafletNo.2,SocietyofArchivists,56EllinStreet,Sheffield als,” ( ton, D.C.20036;telephone:202-232-6636. tute forConservation,Suite340,140016thStreet,N.W.,Washing- for Conservation,1989,pp.1–7.AvailablefromtheAmericanInsti- E. Siegel),PhotographicMaterialsGroupoftheAmericanInstitute Photographic Preservation–VolumeThree stein, “PhotoEnclosuresResearchandSpecifications,” ester, NewYork,May19,1987. nual ConferenceandSymposiumonHybridImagingSystems,Roch- SPSE (TheSocietyforImagingScienceandTechnology)40thAn- Methods forPhotographicStorageEnclosures,”presentationatthe Picturescope, SAA Archival CareofStillPhotographs, BasicArchivalConservationProgram),TheSocietyof Picturescope, Vol.29,No.3,Fall1981,p.108. History News, Whittington’s DictionaryofPlastics, (Turn Pagefor Chapter 14SuppliersList) SAA Newsletter, Vol.31,No.1,Spring1983,pp.4–10. Vol.35,No.10,October1980,pp. Technical Photography, November1984. SocietyofArchivists (compiledbyRobin , publishedby Fundamen- (Societyof Topics in Vol.14, 506

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