Storing Color Prints

Ben 4 · Mar 31, 2009

After years of black and white work, I started printing color (RA-4) this past summer. I've now accumulated enough prints that I have to figure out how best to store the ones I want to keep. Here's my dilemma: I store my B&W work in Light Impressions archival boxes, which are buffered with calcium carbonate. But as far as I can learn, buffered materials are not recommended for storing color work, and I'm having trouble finding archival, unbuffered storage boxes.

So, two questions: 1. Is the buffering really something to be concerned about with color prints? 2. Does anyone have a source for unbuffered boxes (I've been using the inexpensive drop-front type with metal-reinforced edges for b&w)?

--Ben

L Gebhardt · Mar 31, 2009

I don't worry about the box because I put the prints in poly sleeves. But I might be wrong. You can get unbuffered envelopes from Light Impressions as well.

Photo Engineer · Mar 31, 2009

Todays color prints are much more tolerant of storage conditions than those made 20 - 30 years ago. They can be stored in the original boxes that the paper came in, for all they care as long as the place of storage is cool and dry.

In frames, on the wall or in dark cool dry areas you can expect up to 100 years keeping with little change.

One thing I have found. Do not store Ilfochrome prints with any chromogenic print. They are not totally compatible due to the final pH of the papers and dyes used.

PE

pentaxuser · Mar 31, 2009

Ignorance is bliss. I had no idea in the early 1970s that prints from that erao weren't supposed to last so they were/are still stored in cheap albums. Not archival albums and certainly not archival sleeves. OK they are in darkness when the album is closed but look as good today as they did then.

I'd need to check but almost certainly Kodak negs and Kodak paper. So here's a pat on the back for Kodak for prints that nowadays seem to be considered less durable than modern prints.

pentaxuser

Photo Engineer · Mar 31, 2009

I have many prints from the 40s onward to the present. There is a mix of fading of prints in the same album with some being good and some being bad. It depends on the quality of the processing. Most Kodak processing is just fine. I can tell from the stamp on the back.

My processing varies as I was using experimental solutions on many of my prints.

There has been a steady trend over the last 50 years in making color prints more stable, with each generation of prints being as much as 2x more stable than the previous generation. AAMOF, we used a semilog plot to track this as the stability was increasing so fast from generation to generation.

PE

kevs · Apr 1, 2009

I'm currently archiving my family's photographs. My father kept his colour prints in a dark dressing table drawer; I have fibre-based colour prints from the early 1960's and forward to about 1976 which look as if they have hardly faded at all. Others on resin base have faded and discoloured in dark storage. One set on resin has a dark brown stain all over. I suppose the photofinishers couldn't be bothered to wash them properly!

Even prints from the same negative - one on fibre, one on resin stored in the same album sleeve - have aged differently, to the resin print's detriment. What a shame today's colour emulsions aren't coated on fibre base.

Of course the fibre prints kept in frames in the light have lost all but the magenta dyes. Luckily, my father kept almost all of his negatives.

stevewillard · Apr 10, 2009

I have an 8x10 color print I printed from a color negative in my darkroom 28 years ago. I did everything by hand using water baths to maintain the correct temperatures. The prints was processed according to the instructions in the kit I used including proper washing. I then framed the print using the most acidic materials imaginable due to lack of money and ignorance. I used a grocery bag for the dust cover on the back.

Eventually the print was lost until a few years ago I happen to stumble upon it. It was in pristine condition. My gut feeling tells me that most fading will occur if the prints are not properly bleached, fixed, and washed. I suspect the print environment has a lot less to do with fading than proper processing, and yet the industry is very much focused on framing and storage materials. Perhaps that is where the money is using those expensive archival framing materials which is why the focus is there.

Its to bad that the industry has not developed some simple test to validate proper processing. Perhaps the RA4 test strips I use to validate the condition of my roller transport chemistry will also detect improper processing problems such as lack of washing, bleaching, or fixing. Does anyone know anything about this?

Photo Engineer · Apr 10, 2009

Color prints from the era of about 1960 - 1985 were best stored at a pH value of 3.5 - 4.5. In fact, this buffering of the pH was one of the functions of the old Stabilizer. Even after its elimination, I had recommended the continued use of a stabilzer for this purpose. Current papers require a more neutral pH value. The papers from the era above, if not stabilzed, would tend to lose cyan dye, especially when poorly washed.

Ciba/Ilfochrome should never be stored with chromogenic papers, nor should they be stored under the same conditions.

PE

Tom Kershaw · Apr 10, 2009

Photo Engineer said:
Color prints from the era of about 1960 - 1985 were best stored at a pH value of 3.5 - 4.5. In fact, this buffering of the pH was one of the functions of the old Stabilizer. Even after its elimination, I had recommended the continued use of a stabilzer for this purpose. Current papers require a more neutral pH value. The papers from the era above, if not stabilzed, would tend to lose cyan dye, especially when poorly washed.

Ciba/Ilfochrome should never be stored with chromogenic papers, nor should they be stored under the same conditions.

PE

Can black & white silver gelatin prints be stored together with chromogenic prints?

Tom.

Photo Engineer · Apr 10, 2009

Tom;

I have not run specific tests on that. I would suspect that they can as the B&W and chromogenic color prints are not antagonistic AFAIK. I have many stored together, and they seem just fine. It is the Ilfochrome and other chromogenics that seem to resist mixed storage. I notice that the Ilfochrome folders I have have a stronger odor than the other folders as well. But, I have never tested Ilfochrome prints stored with B&W, just with chromogenic color.

I have also tested Ektaflex materials if that is of any importance to anyone, and all of the above seems to hold for them as well only they seem to be more resistant to storage effects. OTOH, the oldest ones are only from mid 80s. The other go back many more years.

PE

AgX · Apr 11, 2009

PE,

What do you mean by `storing together´?

Q.G. · Apr 11, 2009

I'll hazard a gues: in the same box?

Photo Engineer · Apr 11, 2009

I have some chromogenic prints, dye bleach prints and Ektaflex prints stored in a folder together. They were used as part of the development project for Ektaflex. I had comparison prints made for use in the project and then put them in the same folder. The chromogenic prints stored apart kept better than the prints stored in the folder, and the folders with dye bleach prints with chromogenic prints had a strong smell that was not present in other folders.

The cause is not apparent, but the DB prints mixed with chromogenic prints was the only case of this taking place. All other prints were fine. I even have Printon prints doing well side by side with chromogenic prints that date back to the 50s.

So, I suggest that you segregate prints somehow by plastic sleeves or in separate albums or whatever. Putting them into boxes or folders all side by side does not seem to be a good idea unless they are all of the same type.

PE

nickandre · Apr 11, 2009

Should I be stabilizing my prints? Currently I pull them out of the tap water and dry them after a 4 minute wash (or so.)

What about light storage? What shielding should be used? I don't know how much I'll have to worry, but is UV glass a good idea? I assume most of my prints will be displayed for limited durations in galleries w/ tungsten lighting as that's what they're balanced for and I don't assume that will be a problem. If I sell them I don't really care either.

Photo Engineer · Apr 11, 2009

Endura and CA papers need no stabilizer. Using one could not help, but does make the prints tacky to a certain extent.

Kodak makes an RA print final rinse.

PE

Storing Color Prints

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