Negative Storage

kjsphoto · May 13, 2005

How do you all store your negatives? I hate the 3 ring binders and I cannot find the boxes that do not have the rings in them. What do you use?

I also have to have them where if I had to rush out of the house I can just pick up and go.

Thanks,

Kev

George Collier · May 13, 2005

The first thing to worry about is what the negs come in contact with. You don't say what you use, but I think most folks use the Printfile system, a kind of poly material that is acid free and generally considered archival. (you can find it on the web) They come in different versions for different formats and generally are meant to go into 8 1/2 x 11 binders. What you put those pages into doesn't matter as much, but Printfile makes nice binders for $15 - $20 each (that's what I use, to answer your question). Considering the work you put into negs, do the most you can. Once the score is lost, the performance has a hard time happening.

kjsphoto · May 13, 2005

Sorry should have mentioned. I use print file also but just do not like the rings in the boxes.

Thanks,

Kev

Neal · May 13, 2005

Dear Kev,

I love the polyethylene boxes with the 3 ring binder feature.

Neal Wydra

PaulH · May 13, 2005

I use the boxes, sleeves and folders from Light Impressions:

http://www.lightimpressionsdirect.c...p=20300&PCR=30000:130000:139000:139100:139120

Phillip P. Dimor · May 13, 2005

I use a filing cabinet and hanging bars for the negative pages.
Before I had space for a filing cabinet, I used rubermaid document containers with silica gel packets on the inside. The rubermaid document containers hold the hanging files/negative sleeves the same as a filing cabinet.

For 4x5 negatives I use the 4x5 polaroid print pages with 4x5 print sleeves.. The sleeves hold a single negative and slide into the page.

Gary Grenell · May 13, 2005

Permit me to extend the question

I find the more perplexing question is "Where do you store your plastic three ring binder with the print file system insider of it?

For me, the closet is unsatisfactory. I have been creating priceless and irreplacable negatives for 35 years. Houses DO burn down (never happened to me, thank god!).

I thought, "I'll get a safe at home." Then I found out fireproof safes rated for smoke damage are very expensive. Even worse, lets pretend a burglar breaks in and holds me up at gun point. FIRST THING he says is: "Where's the safe??" So I show him the safe and it has no money....only freakin' NEGATIVES in polyethylene sleeves. WHat does the frustrated, coke deranged dude do? HE SHOOTS ME!!! Or WORSE YET, he lets me live and damages my negatives.

O.K. So I go to the Wells Fargo Bank nearby, where I have an account. Lo and behold, my plastic binder does not fit into the largest safe deposit box ( 1/2 inch to wide). My solution?? THe print file system comes out of the binder and goes directly into the largest safe deposit box. VOILA!!

So, I print about 1x per week, usually on a Saturday morning from 6 AM to noon. (After that I'm with the wife and son). So, I usually make a trip to the vault on a Friday afternoon to deposit the work paycheck, deposit last weeks negatives, and pick up the negs for tomorrow's printing session.

I'll tell ya'll the truth. I sleep much better at night with my paranoia put to rest.

Gay Larson · May 13, 2005

I could not stand it if my negs were not right here where I could get to them when the desire to print hit me. I use print files and binders and they are all in my darkroom

Flotsam · May 13, 2005

The problem with the binders is that I can never view the negs on a lightbox with them so I buy those super cheap three-ring report covers and cut the covers off them, keeping just the spine. at least I can flip through them over a backlight.

I'm just glad that I don't have to worry about whether my photographs will exist at all five years from now on flash cards, CDs or hard drives. My 30 year old Negs still look like they did when I pulled them out of the drying cabinet.

rbarker · May 14, 2005

I also use PrintFile pages, but simply store them in manila folders labeled by the person, project or location. The folders then go in a conventional file cabinet in hanging folders.

George Papantoniou · May 14, 2005

Gary Grenell said:
O.K. So I go to the Wells Fargo Bank nearby, where I have an account. Lo and behold, my plastic binder does not fit into the largest safe deposit box ( 1/2 inch to wide). My solution?? THe print file system comes out of the binder and goes directly into the largest safe deposit box. VOILA!!

What if a gang decides to dig a tunnel and break in the bank's vault in order to steal what's in the deposit boxes (usually bonds, jewelry, gold, cash), then finds the negs in your box and takes them (thinking that they're precious) ??? Have you thought of that ???

Clearlight · May 14, 2005

I use the PrintFile pages for all negatives and chromes. I stack the pages in the plastic archival print boxes without using the rings. They fit and are easy to get at. Unfortunately, they do get out of order.

steve barth

kjsphoto · May 14, 2005

Where do you find them?

I have searched every store online and no one sells them anymore.

Do you have a link?

Monophoto · May 14, 2005

Archival sleeves (PrintFile or equivalent) in archival Light Impressions drop front boxes.

Blighty · May 14, 2005

I use Kenro or Panodia neg files in a ring binder. FOR U.K. MEMBERS, I would advise strongly against the use of Jessops own brand clear plastic neg files. I made the mistake of using these a couple of years ago, only to find that they'd deposited a very fine powdery substance on the negs. Careful rewashing remedied the problem, but Jessops got a bollocking for it. BLIGHTY

jp80874 · May 14, 2005

We live in the country and the occasional mouse family visits our basement in winter. Ive noticed they like B&W fiber paper. There is no evidence of an interest in negatives, but I dont want to find out. I use the PrintFile negative holders in three ring notebooks These are labeled with contents. The notebooks are then stored on shelves in a six foot by four foot metal cabinet. The doors latch and there is no opening other than a couple of 1/8 inch louvers for air flow. The basement is dry but I want air movement to avoid mildew.

John

Bob F. · May 14, 2005

kjsphoto said:
Where do you find them?

I have searched every store online and no one sells them anymore.

Do you have a link?

Where do you find what? APUG sponsors Calumet & Freestyle (& probably others) stock a large range of Printfile and other systems and boxes.

For 4x5 negs I use 5x7" sleeves (sealed on the long edges). I trim off one sealed edge to make a folder; static keeps it closed. These go in cardboard boxes along with accompanying contacts.

For 6x6 and 35mm I use the ubiquitous Printfile pages, interleaved with the corresponding contact sheet. I would really prefer some form of folding strip as for the 4x5s to avoid having to slide the negs in and out. These are kept in ring binders outside the darkroom.

Bob.

kjsphoto · May 14, 2005

The boxes he mentioned with NO RINGS in them. Calumet, Freestyle no longer carry them and they siply are not available.

I need to know where he buys them from as I do not like nor want the rings.

Thanks, Kev

Bob F. · May 14, 2005

kjsphoto said:
The boxes he mentioned with NO RINGS in them. Calumet, Freestyle no longer carry them and they siply are not available.

I need to know where he buys them from as I do not like nor want the rings.

Thanks, Kev

Have you tried www.printfile.com - they have a list of suppliers in the US. Presumably a main distributor will order any stock item for you.

Failing that, they seem to have online ordering direct from Printfile: http://www.printfile.com/products.cfm

Bob.

GeorgesGiralt · May 15, 2005

Hi !
For negative storage, I use long unglued paper enveloppe made of neutral paper by SERC (a French firm) into which I put a whole film (in 135 or 120) and a sheet of 4x5. They have all standard format and I put these sleeves in archival carton boxes, film standing upright in order to avoid pressure on them. The boxes are stored in my house, in a heated room, with relative humidity quite controled (a spare bedroom) The various boxes pile up quite neatly.
I mark each paper enveloppe with a pencil with an absolute film number and an index film number containing date, film #, .... These informations are filed with processing notes and subject notes. This ensures a fast retrieval and a clear numbering of prints made from them.
I've been advised not to use glassine or plastic ring binders sleeves because negatives tend to stick badly to them by time. Also, some Panodia style sheet impress some sort of mark pattern on film under pressure. So I use the vertical storage system which proved so far perfect.
I do not know if SERC product can be found outside of France, but you may find similar products, the key being archival paper, no glued seams, and archival cardboard boxes to store films sleeves upright.
Have a niced ay !

Negative Storage

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