Proper storage of negatives?

[reub2000]

I just tried to print some negatives that I shot a few months ago. I thought I could make better prints that what I had originally made. However, I found the negatives to be scratched and dirty even though they hadn't been removed from the negative sleeves in between the 2 printing sessions. The culprit seemed rather obvious, the plastic negative sleeves seem to attract whatever grime is floating around my messenger bag. Anyone have any suggestions on protecting negatives?

 

[keithwms]

Keep your archival sleeves in a bag, and try to humidify to keep down the static.

...and keep them where the sun don't shine

 

[wclark5179]

I use 5" x 11.5" brown envelopes. I buy them in a box of 500. I use 1 envelope for each film and tape it to the contact sheet I make of the negatives. I write on the front of the envelope what I find is useful information including date of capture, a short description, film type, iso, developer with particulars, camera and lens.

The negatives are not sleeved.

I've got negatives from the 1960's and they are just fine. They all have told me they like to be stored this way.

 

[Andrew T]

I think it's probably best to use an archival binder or box for negative storage. I keep my negative pages in old 8.5 x 11 paper boxes to keep dust away.

 

[Colin Corneau]

Step one, keep 'em out of a messenger bag. They're attracting grime and dust because grime and dust are where you're keeping them.
I bought archival neg pages, and found some archival 3 ring binders to store them in - different one for each project.

 

[dancqu]

Messenger Bag?

The culprit seemed rather obvious, the plastic negative
sleeves seem to attract whatever grime is floating around
my messenger bag. Anyone have any suggestions on
protecting negatives?

A messenger bag? Is that any place to store negatives?
I've clean in good condition 50 year old negatives stored
in Glassine sleeves. I recommend Glassine. Dan

 

[Anscojohn]

A messenger bag? Is that any place to store negatives?
I've clean in good condition 50 year old negatives stored
in Glassine sleeves. I recommend Glassine. Dan

******
What prithee tell, is a messenger bag?

 

[reub2000]

A messenger bag? Is that any place to store negatives?
I've clean in good condition 50 year old negatives stored
in Glassine sleeves. I recommend Glassine. Dan

Well, I live about 13 miles away from school, where the enlarger is. They have to get there somehow.

Also, how glassine different from regular sleeves?

 

[Sirius Glass]

Take a look at archival pages on:

http://www.freestylephoto.biz/c2308-Presentation-and-Storage-Negative-Slide-Print-Files

Steve

 

[Ektagraphic]

Put the in Printfile (prinfile is the brand) pages and pu them in a 3 ring binder

 

[Sirius Glass]

Put the in Printfile (prinfile is the brand) pages and pu them in a 3 ring binder

That is the name of the product I was think of.

Steve

 

[reub2000]

Put the in Printfile (prinfile is the brand) pages and pu them in a 3 ring binder

Yeah, that's exactly what I do.

 

[Curt]

I just tried to print some negatives that I shot a few months ago. I thought I could make better prints that what I had originally made. However, I found the negatives to be scratched and dirty even though they hadn't been removed from the negative sleeves in between the 2 printing sessions. The culprit seemed rather obvious, the plastic negative sleeves seem to attract whatever grime is floating around my messenger bag. Anyone have any suggestions on protecting negatives?

I use Polyethylene sleeves, the soft material for sheet film 4x, 5x, 8x and for 120 I use archival paper that I cut to make a one fold "taco" type holder and store them in print boxes. I write on the sleeves with pencil. For 120 6x7 I do the same but put the sleeves in an archival envelope. The less pushing, pulling, sliding and contact in general with the storage container the better. I have used Polyethylene sleeves and the Kraft sleeves, Savage I believe, from Freestyle for years. They store easily and you can put information on them. I put the Poly sleeved in the Kraft with the opening of the Poly first so there is not direct opening to the outside. I store the Kraft / Poly negatives in a box. Watch the place where you store them carefully, good humidity, temp, and out of direct Sun light.

Curt

 

[removed account4]

reub

they sell a hard plastic "clamshell" box
that you can clip your negative files into
it is like a rectangular binder but it closes tight.

a regular photo store might have them, or freestyle has them...

 

[Reinhold]

Listen to Kurt, he know's how to do it right.

A comment about Kraft and Glassine papers...
They are considered "utility grade" papers and fail the PAT test miserably.
Both are highly acidic and prone to high sulfur release as they age.

A simple pH test pen should be basic equipment for anyone who is concerned about the archival quality of their storage materials.

Get your pen here:
http://www.webyfl.com/phtestpen.aspx

Reinhold

www.classicBWphoto.com

 

[Reinhold]

Sorry Curt.
(My FumbleFingers flubbed up your name...)

Reinhold

 

[Colin Corneau]

I'd look into storage onsite, really. I use a community facility at the local art gallery for my printing -- I picked up a big plastic storage tub, and keep my materials in there...sealed up, stored out of the way under a counter.

If that's simply not possible, then store negs in a page, in a binder, and get some large ziploc bags (quite cheap at your local grocery) to keep it all in for the trip there and back. Ziploc bags are your friend when travelling in less than ideal conditions. (Actually, my friends are quality photo bags with sealable compartments...that could work too)

 

[DanielStone]

reub2000,

first of all, I'd recommend reading through this. Its a bit old('92 I believe), so the names of products might have changed a bit. But the methods and rough storage materials are the same. Talks about storage of ANYTHING photographic, especially film and prints. 750-ish pages of solid gold IMO.

some consider this the "bible of archivists". Wilhelm Research is the best resource for archival testing, period.

Dead Link Removed

-Dan

 

[DanielStone]

this is the one that would meet your current question though.


Dead Link Removed

-Dan

 

[naugastyle]

I have to travel to my darkroom as well. I have an assortment of negatives in a binder (regular, non-archival) that I've been carrying around as the ones I most want to print at any given session, sometimes switching them out with the sleeves in the binders that stay at home. I put the binder in a thin tote bag that fits fairly tightly around it. In the first few weeks when my backpack was constantly filled with new chems and papers I needed to bring to the darkroom I just carried the tote bag like that. More recently I've been able to fit the whole tote bag into my backpack. I've printed negatives from 10 years ago without dirt/scratches thus far. Anything that seems either smudgy or overly dusty gets wiped down with Pec-12.

 

[Jeff Searust]

Bags...Sleeves... you mean tossed in a shoebox isn't the best way to store negs...

 

[DLawson]

******
What prithee tell, is a messenger bag?

Knapsack, shoulder bag, backpack, that whole sort of thing. I think "messenger bag" tends to be the sort with one long strap to sling across your chest/back. I have one, though the vendor called it a "field bag."

 

[wogster]

Listen to Kurt, he know's how to do it right.

A comment about Kraft and Glassine papers...
They are considered "utility grade" papers and fail the PAT test miserably.
Both are highly acidic and prone to high sulfur release as they age.

A simple pH test pen should be basic equipment for anyone who is concerned about the archival quality of their storage materials.

Get your pen here:
http://www.webyfl.com/phtestpen.aspx

Reinhold

www.classicBWphoto.com

That may all be true, but there are dozens of older photographers who have negatives that have spent their entire post processing life in the same glassine sleeve and the negative is old enough to collect old age pension.