Comprehensive storage/archiving system for professional film workflow

Hi everyone,

I'm currently trying to conquer the task of setting up a functional archiving workflow for storing my negatives across professional and personal work. I've found a handful of threads regarding negative storage, however what I'm looking for is a bit more specific than any of the answers I've come across so far.

Essentially, I'm looking for a foolproof physical system for archiving all of my negatives, both personal and job-related, so that they are organized and easily accessible for printing. I currently have a naming/organizational system that works well for locating and referencing photos from my scanned digital catalog when I have the actual printfile sleeve in my hand, however the actual storage of my negatives is scattered across multiple binders, file folders, and sleeves.

To give you a little insight into my current system, I typically get scans and cut negatives in sleeves from the lab. I then label the sleeves simply according to: [Job/Project Identifier][Process date [[MM DD YYYY]][Roll Number]. Upon importing the scans to my digital catalog, I then organize them into collections via Job/Project Identifier, and sub-collections via roll number. This way I can select scans for printing, and locate them quickly if I have the negative sleeve.

The issue I run into however, is that because of the fact that I have to use different labs (one for C-41/BW, one for E6, and additionally I hand process plenty of BW myself), my film is always coming back in different types of sleeves or file folders, and cut into different sized strips. This makes it a pain to organize. I typically use the Besfile binders from B&H, however I've found that they're cheaply constructed and with heavy use it's typically a race to the bottom to see what breaks first on them (latches or the rings). Also, because of the larger size of some of the negative pages, it makes it impossible to use binder dividers to separate things up by month. One of my labs also gives me back pages that don't have holes in them either, so there's that.

Does anyone have a storage solution that would make my negatives easily reference-able with the information I'm already using to archive them? I'd like to be able to store all of my formats (35, 120, 4x5, instant) within the same system. I'm considering switching to a filing cabinet/box, however binders appeal to me because you can leaf through pages pretty easily, and it's a nice middle ground between keeping everything in one huge mass of negatives and keeping things in individual project folders (I can't do individual product folders as a one-size-fits-all solution because I am constantly shooting personal work that doesn't exactly fit into it's own project at the time it's processed).

Anyone with experience here care to weigh in? Thanks

I use a similar numbering system and I store all films in PrintFile sheets avoiding the problem you are describing.

For one aspect of your issue, you can just get PrintFile pages and transfer the negs that come back from the labin something different to those. PrintFile makes pages with a couple of different layouts for 12 and 35mm, so you should be able to find something appropriate. They all fit in one of those binder boxes. You might be able to cut down some manila file folders to make large enough dividers, too.

I copy my field notes onto 8 1/2 x 11" sheets that I put in the binders with the plastic sheets holding the associate film. I also store the copy of the jpegs of the note sheets in the same folder I keep the film scans so I can see everything in Lightroom. I use Keywords with the photos in Lightroom so I can find them again in the future. Dates don't help very much.

Pieter12 said:

For one aspect of your issue, you can just get PrintFile pages and transfer the negs that come back from the labin something different to those. PrintFile makes pages with a couple of different layouts for 12 and 35mm, so you should be able to find something appropriate. They all fit in one of those binder boxes. You might be able to cut down some manila file folders to make large enough dividers, too.

Click to expand...

Okay, yeah, so maybe I should just be bulk ordering my own printfile pages and requesting uncut negs from the lab then... Definitely a lot of work when there is 20+ rolls from a shoot, but I guess it's manageable!

Interesting idea with the manila folders - I didn't consider a DIY solution.

I can't help you w/ your system, but yesterday I ran out of those 5 neg plastic print sleeves. Ended up using what appears to be some sort of glassine sleeves that Long's Drug Store in Hawaii had put some color film negs into about 20 years ago.

They only hold 4 neg strips, and are perforated so you can tear off each 4 neg strip if you desire.

What I learned is: these are much, much nicer to deal with than those awful plastic/vinyl print sheets that are in my 3 ring binders. I prefer a 4 strip neg anyway, and the negs fall right into the Long's sleeves with room to spare. Using those plastic binder sleeves, they all seem too tight for the 35mm strips, and you have to struggle to get them in and out. In a humid climate they want to stick to the negs too, that's a lot of fun.

Chandler said:

Okay, yeah, so maybe I should just be bulk ordering my own printfile pages and requesting uncut negs from the lab then... Definitely a lot of work when there is 20+ rolls from a shoot, but I guess it's manageable!

Interesting idea with the manila folders - I didn't consider a DIY solution.

Click to expand...

Ask the lab to cut your 35mm film strips and put them in plastic sheets. That way you'll have a sheet with the film inserted already cut in 6x6's.
The same with 120 film. Ask them to cut it in 3x4's which also goes in one sheet from them. (for square format) For 6x7 have them cut it 2+2+3+3 all in one sheet.
4x5's come back with a film sheet in one plastic holder. I put two of them in one large sheet after I scan them.

Alan Edward Klein said:

Ask the lab to cut your 35mm film strips and put them in plastic sheets. That way you'll have a sheet with the film inserted already cut in 6x6's.
The same with 120 film. Ask them to cut it in 3x4's which also goes in one sheet from them. (for square format) For 6x7 have them cut it 2+2+3+3 all in one sheet.
4x5's come back with a film sheet in one plastic holder. I put two of them in one large sheet after I scan them.

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I've been doing this, but as I mentioned in the post I work with different labs not all of which use printfile sleeves. Some of them use non-hole-punched clearfile sleeves, so I have to re-sleeve each negative strip one by one which is almost as tedious as just cutting them myself.

momus said:

I can't help you w/ your system, but yesterday I ran out of those 5 neg plastic print sleeves. Ended up using what appears to be some sort of glassine sleeves that Long's Drug Store in Hawaii had put some color film negs into about 20 years ago.

They only hold 4 neg strips, and are perforated so you can tear off each 4 neg strip if you desire.

What I learned is: these are much, much nicer to deal with than those awful plastic/vinyl print sheets that are in my 3 ring binders. I prefer a 4 strip neg anyway, and the negs fall right into the Long's sleeves with room to spare. Using those plastic binder sleeves, they all seem too tight for the 35mm strips, and you have to struggle to get them in and out. In a humid climate they want to stick to the negs too, that's a lot of fun.

Click to expand...

I'm with you - the plastic sleeves can be a pain. I've been curious about the glassine ones, however I really like the ability to contact print from the sleeve with the plastic ones. Not sure it's worth the trade off.

Chandler said:

I've been doing this, but as I mentioned in the post I work with different labs not all of which use printfile sleeves. Some of them use non-hole-punched clearfile sleeves, so I have to re-sleeve each negative strip one by one which is almost as tedious as just cutting them myself.

Click to expand...

Well, you can either start using only one lab. Or, just commit to moving the film to a standard type of sheet and a standard binder you buy yourself.

I want my 35mm film in strips of 6 not 4 and my 120 film in strips of 4. I just get mine back uncut and I use a light table and scissors.

Sirius Glass said:

I want my 35mm film in strips of 6 not 4 and my 120 film in strips of 4. I just get mine back uncut and I use a light table and scissors.

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Labs will do that.

Chandler said:

I'm with you - the plastic sleeves can be a pain. I've been curious about the glassine ones, however I really like the ability to contact print from the sleeve with the plastic ones. Not sure it's worth the trade off.

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Yeah. Plastic just makes it easier to see just for handling and going through a binder looking for the right photo, as well as contact printing.

I prefer getting my lab developed film returned to me uncut in continuous sleeving.
That reduces the amount of handling done by the lab, and lets me control how I store and archive the results.
Of course I haven't had to do that with weddings or other large, multi-roll jobs for a long time.

MattKing said:

I prefer getting my lab developed film returned to me uncut in continuous sleeving.
That reduces the amount of handling done by the lab, and lets me control how I store and archive the results.
Of course I haven't had to do that with weddings or other large, multi-roll jobs for a long time.

Click to expand...

I found that when I got rolls, they didn't lay flat when I scanned them. Having them cut and send them back to me in plastic sheets leaves the film flat. Even 35mm film.

Alan Edward Klein said:

Labs will do that.

Click to expand...

Not the ones I use.

MattKing said:

I prefer getting my lab developed film returned to me uncut in continuous sleeving.
That reduces the amount of handling done by the lab, and lets me control how I store and archive the results.
Of course I haven't had to do that with weddings or other large, multi-roll jobs for a long time.

Click to expand...

MattKing said:

I prefer getting my lab developed film returned to me uncut in continuous sleeving.
That reduces the amount of handling done by the lab, and lets me control how I store and archive the results.
Of course I haven't had to do that with weddings or other large, multi-roll jobs for a long time.

Click to expand...

I think this is what I will end up doing. Will just have to suck it up and do the extra work!

The KISS principle is best, in photography and one's love life.

I've used the same archival vinyl film pages since 1990. I switched to these after I discovered many of my 1960s and 1970s negatives, stored in the old-time gelatinous sheets sold by Kodak and other film manufacturers, have stuck firmly to the emulsions. It took a lot of time and much effort to rescue most of my films - many were too firmly stuck and left with pits in the emulsion which I could never get off.

Archiving for me now is time-consuming but simple. I file according to year/month/day/number. Nothing else. I mean, who cares if a wedding you shot in 1972 was done on Tri-X or HP5??

I then enter a few relevant details on a Lotus spread sheet - this is a now-ancient software package I picked up with a PC I bought in 2000 or thereabouts, still very useful and easy as anything to set up and maintain. Details start with date (see my second paragraph), name, a few essential details (like if I sold any images or not from the particular roll), and not much else.

As for processing, I do all my own B&W and at times my color negative films when I've built up a small stock. I no longer shoot E6 or for that matter professionally altho I now and then sell an old film image to publishers. Details of any sale go into my Lotus spreadsheet and I make a written note for my tax folder. That's it.

The digital era and quick-and-nasty shooters who post everything online have mostly undone almost everything to do with photography now anyway. Also it helps to remind oneself on occasion that it will all go into a dumpster anyway when we have shuffled off to the other-world-cloudland.

ozmoose said:

The KISS principle is best, in photography and one's love life.

I've used the same archival vinyl film pages since 1990. I switched to these after I discovered many of my 1960s and 1970s negatives, stored in the old-time gelatinous sheets sold by Kodak and other film manufacturers, have stuck firmly to the emulsions. It took a lot of time and much effort to rescue most of my films - many were too firmly stuck and left with pits in the emulsion which I could never get off.

Archiving for me now is time-consuming but simple. I file according to year/month/day/number. Nothing else. I mean, who cares if a wedding you shot in 1972 was done on Tri-X or HP5??

I then enter a few relevant details on a Lotus spread sheet - this is a now-ancient software package I picked up with a PC I bought in 2000 or thereabouts, still very useful and easy as anything to set up and maintain. Details start with date (see my second paragraph), name, a few essential details (like if I sold any images or not from the particular roll), and not much else.

As for processing, I do all my own B&W and at times my color negative films when I've built up a small stock. I no longer shoot E6 or for that matter professionally altho I now and then sell an old film image to publishers. Details of any sale go into my Lotus spreadsheet and I make a written note for my tax folder. That's it.

The digital era and quick-and-nasty shooters who post everything online have mostly undone almost everything to do with photography now anyway. Also it helps to remind oneself on occasion that it will all go into a dumpster anyway when we have shuffled off to the other-world-cloudland.

Click to expand...

Some people think that if they back it up in the cloud, they'll all be there when they get there.

ozmoose said:

Archiving for me now is time-consuming but simple. I file according to year/month/day/number. Nothing else. I mean, who cares if a wedding you shot in 1972 was done on Tri-X or HP5??

Click to expand...

Same here - I've noticed a lot of people include totally extraneous information (lens, film, camera, format) when archiving which for me seems like it would do nothing but gum up the works. I'm curious vinyl pages you use now. I'm assuming Printfile/Clearfile?

ozmoose said:

I then enter a few relevant details on a Lotus spread sheet - this is a now-ancient software package I picked up with a PC I bought in 2000 or thereabouts, still very useful and easy as anything to set up and maintain. Details start with date (see my second paragraph), name, a few essential details (like if I sold any images or not from the particular roll), and not much else.

As for processing, I do all my own B&W and at times my color negative films when I've built up a small stock. I no longer shoot E6 or for that matter professionally altho I now and then sell an old film image to publishers. Details of any sale go into my Lotus spreadsheet and I make a written note for my tax folder. That's it.

Click to expand...

I organize my scanned negatives (matched to sleeve via roll number) in my Capture One catalog with the rest of my images (digital as well). It's great for adding additional metadata and being able to instantly sort/locate images via that information, although I'm unable to record sale information with it. I just use Freshbooks for that.