The question I always wanted to ask - Storing negatives in folders

Sirius Glass

Subscriber
Joined
Jan 18, 2007
Messages
50,275
Location
Southern California
Format
Multi Format
Mine are in binders that lie flat. That way there are no slumping problems.
 

juan

Member
Joined
May 7, 2003
Messages
2,706
Location
St. Simons I
Format
Multi Format
I store my negatives in plastic sleeves inside file folders stored in a file cabinet vertically. Some are more than 50-years old and don’t show any problem that I can see.
 

RalphLambrecht

Subscriber
Joined
Sep 19, 2003
Messages
14,626
Location
K,Germany
Format
Medium Format
hoffy said:
OK, I have now amassed a few folders worth of negatives. The question is simple. Should I be storing them flat or standing up?

I have them flat, as I figured that if they hang down on the binder rings the bottom ones might get curled.

Thoughts?
Click to expand...
I have them standing up for 20 years without the plastic sheets failing.
 

beemermark

Subscriber
Joined
Sep 21, 2008
Messages
860
Format
4x5 Format
juan said:
I store my negatives in plastic sleeves inside file folders stored in a file cabinet vertically. Some are more than 50-years old and don’t show any problem that I can see.
Click to expand...
I've done the same. Some of the Ektar chromes have faded but the Kodachromes are still fine.
 

MattKing

Moderator
Moderator
Joined
Apr 24, 2005
Messages
52,441
Location
Delta, BC Canada
Format
Medium Format
Vertical binders here, except my binder with oversized glassine pages with negatives (primarily) from the 1970s and early 1980s. That binder won't fit vertically on my shelves.
Both approaches seem to be working fine.
 

Truzi

Member
Joined
Mar 18, 2012
Messages
2,640
Format
Multi Format
Great - I got some printfile sheets & binders a while ago and haven't moved my negatives to them yet, and now I'm second-guessing, lol. I'm pretty sure I'll be fine, though.
 

Doremus Scudder

Member
Joined
Sep 10, 2002
Messages
3,582
Location
Eugene, Oregon
Format
4x5 Format
My negatives are in poly file pages in binders stored standing vertically on bookshelves. I store the contact sheet and all my exposure records together in the binders with the appropriate negatives. 35+ years now and not a problem.

Doremus
 

snusmumriken

Member
Joined
Jul 22, 2021
Messages
2,414
Location
Salisbury, UK
Format
35mm
I store my negs in plastic sheets (Secol) filed in ring-binder boxes (i.e. enclosed). I stand the boxes on end, like books - that is, when they are not being used as weights to help flatten prints!

In my experience (mainly with Ilford films) negs stay very flat when stored like this.
 

W_Taylor76

Subscriber
Joined
Mar 22, 2020
Messages
61
Location
Idaho
Format
Multi Format
I store my negatives (medium and large format) in plastic archival sleeves in 3-ring binders standing vertically like they were made to. No problems with curling or anything else in the last 20+ years.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Menu
Log in
Register
Cookies are required to use this site. You must accept them to continue using the site. Learn more…