7x17 Neg Storage and Mount sizes

Alex Hawley · May 16, 2007

A couple questions concerning 7x17 as I start getting geared up for my venture into ULF.

First:What are people using for negative storage?

Second: What dimensions are commonly used for 7x17 print mounting boards? I know this can be subjective and a matter of aesthetic taste, but I'm just trying to get ideas for a starting point.

Thanks in advance,
Alex

Jim Fitzgerald · May 16, 2007

Alex, on the second question I think that 13x25 is a good size for the 7x17 or in my case 8x20. This is what Michael Smith uses for his 8x20's. If you go longer you can get more pieces out of a sheet but I think it looks wrong if it is to long. I did a mock up of this size and it felt "right" to me. Just my .02.

Jim

doughowk · May 16, 2007

Mat dimensions of 14X24 with floating mount for kallitypes & hopefully soon Carbon prints too. For storage I currently just use a film box with negatives interleaved with paper. Need to do something better.

jp80874 · May 16, 2007

Alex,

Here are APUG quotes from Sandy King and RobertP.
"I store my 7X17" negatives in the top loading boxes from Hollinger. Some of the negatives are stored in specially made print sleeves for 7X17" negatives, and then are placed in an acid free paper I buy from Light Impressions called Renaissance paper. The paper comes in a size that when you fold it over it is almost perfect for a 7X17" negative and the Hollinger boxes. I ran out of the plastic print sleeves and don't plan to get any more because I think the negative is really better off stored in the folded paper.

You can also use Renaissance tissue, which is lighter and costs less, but I prefer the paper.

Sandy King

From RobertP

"I use the same as Sandy. I have used the Renaissance tissue and Apollo tissue from LI. The Apollo paper or tissue is about the same as the Renaissance but the Apollo is buffered where the Renaissance is not. I was told the buffered would be better for storing negatives because of this. But either will work well. I then store them in the Hollinger boxes. The Hollinger boxes are probably the best bang for the buck out there."

John speaking here:
I use the Hollinger box which loads from the top and has inside measurements of:17 3/8" x 6" x 7 3/8" deep. I liked Robert's idea of the buffered paper so I use Apollo Paper size 14x18 product # 3141 from Light Impressions. I fold the 14" side in half and cut to fit the box.

John Powers

Alex Hawley · May 16, 2007

Thanks John. Where can I get the Hollinger boxes? Does Light Impressions carry them?

jp80874 · May 16, 2007

Alex,

Just finished my first series of 20 images with the 7x17 for my Advanced Photo class. I bought over mat or window mat and mounting board from American Frame in Toledo. The outside mat dimension is 23 7/16 x 14 1/8". There were no verticals in the series. The top and side borders were 3 1/4". The bottom border was 4". I wanted whitest white and they suggested Crescent Select White Glove. The back mat was archival foam core.

I called Thursday afternoon and mentioned that I was under a little pressure to receive them, mount the pictures, tape the hinges and show in the final critique the following Thursday. At no extra charge they cut the mats and shipped Friday. I had them Monday afternoon. I live just south of Cleveland. Everything was ready Wednesday morning. This is the third time they have given me one day service at no charge.

Border size and hole size is purely one person's opinion, or in this case one student and his professor's opinion. I have nine film holders and four variations of notches. The compromise for a single hole size had the notch going to the edges of the window with a 3/16 black border. Variations to 1/8" were a fact of life. I contact print on Kentmere VC FB.

Hope this all helps.

John Powers

jp80874 · May 16, 2007

Alex Hawley said:
Thanks John. Where can I get the Hollinger boxes? Does Light Impressions carry them?

The Hollinger Corp. Tel: 800-634-0491, Fax 800-957-8814 -
Web site www.hollingercorp.com

I bought direct. Someone here had negotiated with them to make this size. I like the box. I do not like the negative envelope they offer. It is open on the long side, three sides closed. It is a heavy archival stock. It so heavy it limits how many negatives you can store in a box compared to the Apollo paper. I also felt it was such hard stock that it might scratch the negatives. I didnt, but it worried me. I bought some envelopes to try and now use a few of them as subject dividers in the box.

John

Alex Hawley · May 16, 2007

Thanks guys. This is all very helpful. I found another good idea over on the LF Forum. That is using plastic seed trays for processing. They are of the right dimensions and a heck-of-a-lot cheaper that those regular 16x18 photo trays.

sanking · May 17, 2007

BTW, I just want to clarify that the paper I used to store 7X17 and 12X20 negateives is Apollo paper, not Renaissance pape. It is acid free and buffered. Just fold the paper, put the negative in, and drop it into one of the top-loading boxes from Hollinger. Buy the 20X24" size for 12X20 negatives and 14X17 for 7X17 negatives. Number and identify the negative with a pencil on the outside of the paper.

Sandy King

scootermm · May 17, 2007

I agree with what sandy mentioned about the apollo paper. This is what I have started using for storing my negs.

as to boxes for storing the negatives, I use the empty film negs boxes. I believe I put two empty film boxes in the package Alex. since the boxes are nested with three layers, ever two film boxes ordered heeds three boxes of "storage".

in regards to the matting/mounting. I use a fairly standard 'format', 20x28. it leaves some fairly wide borders on some sides, but I like the fact that its fairly common to find 20x28 frames and it heeds two mats out of a standard sheet of matboard.

Kerik · May 17, 2007

jp80874 said:
John speaking here:
I use the Hollinger box which loads from the top and has inside measurements of:17 3/8" x 6" x 7 3/8" deep.

John,

Can you point to these boxes on the Hollinger site? I presume you're not talking about these: Dead Link Removed

Thanks!

sanking · May 17, 2007

Kerik said:
John,

Can you point to these boxes on the Hollinger site? I presume you're not talking about these: Dead Link Removed

Thanks!

Kerik,

That is the site.

Sandy

jp80874 · May 17, 2007

Kerik & Sandy,

This is the post where I got the page.

"ULF Negative Storage Boxes from Genealogical Storage Products
I got an email today from Genealogical Storage Products. I had asked in the past about enlarging their 8x10 flip top negative boxes into a size which could hold ULF negatives.

They have added three new boxes to their line of products for 7x17, 8x20 and 12x20 negative storage. They are not the fliptop boxes but rather they have a removable lid.

Dead Link Removed
__________________
George Losse
www.georgelosse.com "

Clearly there is nothing on that page now that fits the dimensions of my box. I will email them and ask.

John Powers

George Losse · May 17, 2007

Wait a minute that's my old post.

They have changed to boxes to a horizontal type of box only two inches high.
Dead Link Removed

I'm not sure I like the idea of storing the nagatives flat. The enclosures I use might let the negative slide out in a horizontal position. Also I would think there would be more shuffling through a stack of negatives with that set up.

The old boxes were like 8+ inches tall and about six inches deep and 20+ inches wide with a removable lid. They do get a little heavy and hard to deal with when they fill up.

jp80874 · May 17, 2007

I wrote Hollinger and this is what they have to say. I don't think I want to store my negatives flat, one on top of another, but it looks like we will need to make a group purchase to get their interest.

John P.

"Dear Mr. Powers:

We originally made the vertical boxes you describe for the ULF photo
boxes. However, customer feedback overwhelmingly favored the flat boxes
that are currently in our web store. If you want to purchase some of the
vertical boxes, please let us know the size and quantity, and we will send
you a price quote.

Sincerely yours

The Hollinger Corporation"

bobherbst · May 17, 2007

Hollinger Boxes for ULF Negatives

I use the 12x20 flat Hollinger boxes with negatives stored in 20x24 Apollo paper folded in half. When storing 12x20 negatives, you don't really want to have more than about 2" worth in a single box. The boxes get very heavy. Smaller negatives would be different. I would not want a 2" or 3" thick vertical standing box with a flip top lid because it would have the tendency to fall over on a table surface or shelf spilling the contents.

sanking · May 17, 2007

bobherbst said:
I use the 12x20 flat Hollinger boxes with negatives stored in 20x24 Apollo paper folded in half. When storing 12x20 negatives, you don't really want to have more than about 2" worth in a single box. The boxes get very heavy. Smaller negatives would be different. I would not want a 2" or 3" thick vertical standing box with a flip top lid because it would have the tendency to fall over on a table surface or shelf spilling the contents.

Vertical stacking makes a lot more sense to me. I find it a much better system for both 7X17 and 12X20 negatives. My boxes, which are up up to about 5" wide for 7X17 and 3" wide for 12x20, are very convenient for vertical type storage.

Sandy King

Alex Hawley · May 17, 2007

Thanks for all the info guys. This really helps. Think for now I will put the negatives in the spare film boxes, wrapped with the Apollo paper. Those Hollinger boxes look like a good thing to store prints in too.

7x17 Neg Storage and Mount sizes

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