35mm negative storage - Lab sleeves vs Print File, etc.

Joseph Bell · May 28, 2023

Hello!

I have recently switched to a new lab whose procedure is to cut and sleeve the negatives into strips of 4. I have a feeling I should probably remove the negatives from the lab-issued sleeves and place them into Print File polyethylene sleeves, but of course I don't want to do this! Who would?!

I would love to simply store these lab-issued sleeves in a nice archival acid-free clamshell box and be done with it, but I also would like to ensure that these negatives will still be in good shape in 10, 20, 30 years, etc. Am I correct to assume the lab-issued plastic sleeves are not safe for longterm archival storage? Is this an annoying question? I'm sure it's been asked many times before!

Anyhow, I will be truly grateful for your time, erudition, wisdom, etc. Thank you most sincerely!

Bill Burk · May 28, 2023

Tell lab not to cut and then you can cut as you like and put in strips of your favorite pages. They should understand, my camera store actually suggested to me to ask for them uncut, as otherwise they would cut them in strips of 4.

Strips of 5 or 6 would be easier (for you) to manage. You should have the final say.

But don't worry. If you keep them in the lab-issued sleeves they will be fine.

A couple years ago I put some color negative film in pages after having been stored tightly wound in original sleeves.
The film still tends to curl but otherwise cleanliness and color quality is fine, despite me having tossed them in a box forty years prior.

Chan Tran · May 28, 2023

Printfile pages are available in that can hold strips of 6. The lab usually put them in their sleeves with strips of 5. I prefer strips of 6 beause my scanner holder can hold 6 frame strip. When I had my enlarger it has the Beseler Negatrans so it doesn't really matter. However, checking online I found some labs charge extra for uncut film.

Sirius Glass · May 28, 2023

Bill Burk said:
Tell lab not to cut and then you can cut as you like and put in strips of your favorite pages. They should understand, my camera store actually suggested to me to ask for them uncut, as otherwise they would cut them in strips of 4.

Strips of 5 or 6 would be easier (for you) to manage. You should have the final say.

But don't worry. If you keep them in the lab-issued sleeves they will be fine.

A couple years ago I put some color negative film in pages after having been stored tightly wound in original sleeves.
The film still tends to curl but otherwise cleanliness and color quality is fine, despite me having tossed them in a box forty years prior.

Film stored in strips is hard to store in any usable file system. I too request that the photo processing lab not cut the film and I use PrintFile sheets to store the negatives. I cut them as Bill describes.

Sal Santamaura · May 28, 2023

If you can get the lab to confirm what I suspect, namely, that those 4-frame strips are being returned in HDPE plastic sleeving, you already have them in the safest reasonably priced material possible. Safer for long-term storage than Printfile's polyethylene pages. The only thing better would be polyester, but that's much more expensive. I'd put them in 5x7 box like this one:

Gaylord Archival | Archival Supplies, Exhibit & Display Cases

Gaylord — Leading provider of preservation & exhibit solutions to institutions & individuals. Proudly serving archives, museums & libraries since 1896.

www.gaylord.com

For all the information one would ever need on this subject, read Chapter 14 here:

http://www.wilhelm-research.com/pdf/HW_Book_01_of_20_HiRes_v1c.pdf

Chan Tran · May 28, 2023

Sal Santamaura said:
If you can get the lab to confirm what I suspect, namely, that those 4-frame strips are being returned in HDPE plastic sleeving, you already have them in the safest reasonably priced material possible. Safer for long-term storage than Printfile's polyethylene pages. The only thing better would be polyester, but that's much more expensive. I'd put them in 5x7 box like this one:

Gaylord Archival | Archival Supplies, Exhibit & Display Cases

Gaylord — Leading provider of preservation & exhibit solutions to institutions & individuals. Proudly serving archives, museums & libraries since 1896.

www.gaylord.com

For all the information one would ever need on this subject, read Chapter 14 here:

http://www.wilhelm-research.com/pdf/HW_Book_01_of_20_HiRes_v1c.pdf

Yes I do think the sleeves that most labs use are safe for the film. What I don't like is the 4 or 5 frame strip and they are not a page that can be hanged in a 3 ring binder like printfile. The prinfile page is transparent good for making contact print but I never need to do that.

Joseph Bell · May 28, 2023

Bill Burk said:
Tell lab not to cut and then you can cut as you like and put in strips of your favorite pages. They should understand, my camera store actually suggested to me to ask for them uncut, as otherwise they would cut them in strips of 4.

Strips of 5 or 6 would be easier (for you) to manage. You should have the final say.

But don't worry. If you keep them in the lab-issued sleeves they will be fine.

A couple years ago I put some color negative film in pages after having been stored tightly wound in original sleeves.
The film still tends to curl but otherwise cleanliness and color quality is fine, despite me having tossed them in a box forty years prior.

this is wonderful to hear! Thanks so much!

Joseph Bell · May 28, 2023

Sirius Glass said:
Film stored in strips is hard to store in any usable file system. I too request that the photo processing lab not cut the film and I use PrintFile sheets to store the negatives. I cut them as Bill describes.

thank you!

Joseph Bell · May 28, 2023

Sal Santamaura said:
If you can get the lab to confirm what I suspect, namely, that those 4-frame strips are being returned in HDPE plastic sleeving, you already have them in the safest reasonably priced material possible. Safer for long-term storage than Printfile's polyethylene pages. The only thing better would be polyester, but that's much more expensive. I'd put them in 5x7 box like this one:

Gaylord Archival | Archival Supplies, Exhibit & Display Cases

Gaylord — Leading provider of preservation & exhibit solutions to institutions & individuals. Proudly serving archives, museums & libraries since 1896.

www.gaylord.com

For all the information one would ever need on this subject, read Chapter 14 here:

http://www.wilhelm-research.com/pdf/HW_Book_01_of_20_HiRes_v1c.pdf

So generous of you to share like this! Many thanks!

foc · May 28, 2023

I have negatives from the early 1990s that were cut into strips of 4 in standard lab neg sleeving and there still perfect.

The reason behind the labs cutting negatives into strips of 4 is that the negs fitted into a standard print wallet (6x4 inch print size).

Sal Santamaura · May 29, 2023

Chan Tran said:
Yes I do think the sleeves that most labs use are safe for the film...

As best as I've been able to determine, today in this country the lab sleeves that hold six-frame strips are polyethylene, just like Print File pages. Four-frame sleeves seem to be universally HDPE. Both are "safe," but the latter are better.

Joseph Bell said:
So generous of you to share like this! Many thanks!

You're most welcome. It's important to note that the negatives themselves may have lower life expectancies than pages/sleeves. If they're on acetate base, they'll "vinegar" long before the best storage materials have any chance of harming them. If they're color or chromogenic black and white, under less than optimum storage conditions, they'll fade too. Of course, it's always wise to give whatever negatives one wishes to keep a long time the best chance at survival, i.e. best storage materials. While Wilhelm's book is 30 years old, and there have been many changes in films and papers since it was published, the information about negative storage remains valid and useful. Except for those supplies that are sadly no longer available.

Alan Edward Klein · May 29, 2023

My lab provides poly page with 6 cuts of 6. It fits the scanner better plus it matches 8x10 photo paper for contact prints. Also easy to scan the entire poly page of 36. I think they charge me a buck or two. It's worth it. I hate rolled film. It curls while cut film is flat if in poly. Polly is easy to see thru and mark with a grease pencil or marker.

Chan Tran · May 29, 2023

Alan Edward Klein said:
My lab provides poly page with 6 cuts of 6. It fits the scanner better plus it matches 8x10 photo paper for contact prints. Also easy to scan the entire poly page of 36. I think they charge me a buck or two. It's worth it. I hate rolled film. It curls while cut film is flat if in poly. Polly is easy to see thru and mark with a grease pencil or marker.

Which lab do you use?

Alan Edward Klein · May 29, 2023

Chan Tran said:
Which lab do you use?

I've used North Coast Photo in California and LTI Lightside in Manhattan. But check with them by phone because I haven't shot 35 mm in a while. Let us know what they say.

ant! · May 29, 2023

My lab actually charges for cutting. So I ask for uncut and get the whole roll in a long sleeve, and cut it by myself to store in printfile sheets. My scanner would get up to 6 negatives per strip, but I prefer the printfile 35-7B which is letter-sized and 5 per strip... (I could get the other ones with 6 per strip and actual more negatives per sheet, but I use a standard file binder...)
Not sure what the default cut would be in my lab, probably 5 or 6...

markjwyatt · May 29, 2023

I have had some plastic sleeves form the late 1970s go bad. Glassine lasted (though darkened a little). I suspect the modern plastic sleeving is fine, but I still get glassine when I can.

35mm negative storage - Lab sleeves vs Print File, etc.

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