storage of film and paper

[Leon]

I have been lucky enough to have come into quite a lot of paper and film - I was wondering how I might be able to store it to keep it fresh

The film fits into the 'fridge so no problems there - no room for the paper though. I can just about get the paper into the freezer, but am wondering if it is a good idea to freeze Fibre based papers? The thought of ice crystals ripping up integrity of my baryta sends cautionary shivers down my spine.

And ... Where do I keep my frozen veggie-burgers, nut roast cutlets and frozen spinach cubes when the freezer is full of large boxes??

there's no room for new 'fridges or freezers. HOw long should I expect paper kept at room temperature (20 deg +/- 2 degrees) to last for?

Does anyone have any tips regarding this?

 

[Robert Hall]

Much of this depends on the paper and how it has been stored to this point.

I have 12 year old paper from forte "laced" with cadmium that has yet to fog. I have, however, kept it in a cool, and here in Utah, very dry environment.

I would never put paper in a freezer due to the moisture you probably have there in Kent.

Keep it as cool and dry as you can, and print the hell out of it! After all, I think the paper looks much better with images on it, than how it comes in the box.

 

[Leon]

ta robert - they've come direct from the manufacturers warehouse, so hopefully they'll be in a nice fresh condition. It'll go under the spare bed (along with everything else that doesnt have a home in my house) and I just suppose I'll have to up my darkroom usage to compensate - it sounds like the best excuse I've had to date ...

Wife: " You're not going in the darkroom again are you?"

Leon: "It's not that I want to dear - I just have to or all this damn paper will go off. " (rubbing his hands with glee)

 

[FrankB]

The thought of ice crystals ripping up integrity of my baryta sends cautionary shivers down my spine.

Makes my eyes water just thinking about it!

Get it printed, you big girls' blouse! And if you run out of storage space for the resulting prints I'm sure I'll be able to help you out...!

 

[Dave Miller]

I have frozen both film and paper. Never had a problem. The humidity inside new packets is so low that you can ignore it, just make sure you allow the packet to thaw for several hours, and reach room temperature before opening it. I place the boxes inside plastic bags so they too keep in pristine condition.

 

[Gerald Koch]

Storage of film and paper has been discussed ad nauseum on several previous threads. I would suggest consulting the archives.

 

[Dave Miller]

Storage of film and paper has been discussed ad nauseum on several previous threads. I would suggest consulting the archives.

But if we did that for each thread there wouldn't be anything left to write about.

 

[Gerald Koch]

I am sure that we could

"talk of many things:
Of shoes--and ships--and sealing-wax--
Of cabbages--and kings--
And why the sea is boiling hot--
And whether pigs have wings."

apologies to LC.

 

[PhotoJim]

No, pigs don't have wings.

As long as you put the paper into sealed plastic bags, you'll be fine. Photographic paper doesn't have any liquid in it, so freezing it won't damage it. It does slow the aging of the emulsion. Just be sure to warm up the paper (still in the sealed plastic bag) for a few hours before you open it. If you don't, you risk condensation on the paper and that can cause damage, although the way paper is closed and sealed, this is a low risk.

Film keeps very well when frozen, especially slower film. Faster film (>ISO 200) will fog faster, due to cosmic ray damage, but should keep a few years. Very slow films (ISO 25 and below) keep more or less indefinitely.

 

[Roger Hicks]

No, pigs don't have wings.

Just because you've never SEEN any with wings...

Apart from that, I have frozen various papers and films, colour and mono, and have never seen damage.

But then, Jim's never seen pigs with wings.

Cheers,

Gallius Porcinus

 

[Leon]

Storage of film and paper has been discussed ad nauseum on several previous threads. I would suggest consulting the archives.

I was just aiming to extend ad nauseum to the nth degree me old mate - got to get your money's worth out of the subscription fee.

thanks for your answers everyone.

 

[Gerald Koch]

I was just aiming to extend ad nauseum to the nth degree me old mate - got to get your money's worth out of the subscription fee.

My thought was that since this had already been discussed at length, the quickest way to get the information was from the archives. Sorry if I gave another impression.

 

[waynecrider]

Maybe vacuumn packing the paper would help?

 

[Phillip P. Dimor]

I've frozen in a conventional freezer before. I do wrap each box of paper in a thick plastic bag and seal with tape. If you can find a large enough ziplock bag, that would work well.

When you remove the paper from the freezer, be sure to place it in the fridge for a while. I leave it there for 2 to 3 hours. From the fridge, I like to let it 'dry'. Condensation on the outside shouldn't be a problem, but let it warm up to room temp before unsealing. My $0.02

 

[removed account4]

i've pretty much given up on fridge and freezer for paper and film.
it all sits on the shelf in a cool basement.
i've had some of it for close to 20 years and i use it without
a problem.

YMVV
-john

 

[Dave Miller]

I am sure that we could

"talk of many things:
Of shoes--and ships--and sealing-wax--
Of cabbages--and kings--
And why the sea is boiling hot--
And whether pigs have wings."

apologies to LC.

But did LC print on r/c or fibre; now that would be a tobic worthy of discussion.

 

[unregistered]

You don't have to go to the trouble of wrapping the boxes in plastic, or putting them in bags. All you really have to do is just let it sit in a room for about 2 or 3 hours after removal from the freezer before use. You will get no condensation or any other type of damage. I've been freezing paper for 35 years and never had a problem.

 

[catem]

i've pretty much given up on fridge and freezer for paper and film.
it all sits on the shelf in a cool basement.
i've had some of it for close to 20 years and i use it without
a problem.

YMVV
-john

Black-and-White paper seems to last a very long time indeed, in a cool place. I used to put mine in the fridge but had an accident with a power cut/defrosting fridge, which did make the paper very damp, so now I just keep it at coolish room temp. I still put film in the fridge though.

 

[Dave Miller]

Black-and-White paper seems to last a very long time indeed, in a cool place. I used to put mine in the fridge but had an accident with a power cut/defrosting fridge, which did make the paper very damp, so now I just keep it at coolish room temp. I still put film in the fridge though.

Presumably it wasn’t in a plastic outer bag?

 

[unregistered]

"Black-and-White paper seems to last a very long time indeed"

Depends on the paper. Some last longer than others, and some just barely long enough to make it to their expiration date.

 

[catem]

Presumably it wasn’t in a plastic outer bag?

In two plastic bags if I remember rightly (one inside the other, other way up if you see what I mean) but obviously not sealed enough - or at all...

Some last longer than others, and some just barely long enough to make it to their expiration date

Which are they, then? It would be very useful to compile some kind of list of those that last forever, to those that last only a short time....