What brand 3-ring binder for Print File pages?

PhilBurton · Jul 13, 2020

I just bought two of these Print File 7 rows of 6 6 negatives page packages from B&H Photo, https://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/prod...le_PF357BXW100_Archival_Storage_Page_for.html. But then I discovered that these pages don't really fit into any of the 3 ring binders that I have. The pages protrude below the binder covers. Reading lots of reviews and web posts, some people seem to be saying that they are using "regular" 3 ring binders. Unfortunately these days I just can't go to my local Staples or other office supply store to try out different binders.

So if you use the Print File 7 rows of 6 negatives pages, what brand and model of 3-ring binder do you use? If you using something else, I'm also interested in hearing about that.

Thanks,

Phil Burton

Michael Teresko · Jul 13, 2020

The Besfile Archival Binder with Rings works fine with seven row pages. Available at Freestyle and BH, probably AMZ too.

logan2z · Jul 13, 2020

I use these and they work fine with those Print File pages:

https://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/61870-REG/Vue_All_V200_Archival_Safe_T_Binder_With.html

MattKing · Jul 13, 2020

Some of the Amazon listings give dimensions for the binders.
A D ring binder is a much better choice for negative pages than the round ring binders.
Those over-sized pages work best in over-sized binders.
And for the purpose of darkroom produced contact proof sheets, the over-sized pages can't be practically squeezed on to 8x10 sheets of photographic paper.
All that being said, I can understand why many people prefer a sheet with room for 6 frame strips to the 5 frame by 7 strip sheets that I prefer.

George Collier · Jul 13, 2020

One thing nice about strips of 6 - you can put 3 strips side by side in a 4x5 neg carrier, and enlarge to 8x10, you get a much larger "contact" sheet of 9 images (3x3). 4 of these for a roll of 36. Much larger image to evaluate.

john_s · Jul 15, 2020

I prefer archival boxes to ring folders.

ic-racer · Jul 15, 2020

You might want to consider storing the negative sheets by hanging them on rods.

gijsbert · Jul 15, 2020

ic-racer said:
You might want to consider storing the negative sheets by hanging them on rods.
View attachment 250525

May I ask what kind of rods? Peek in those boxes maybe...

I sometimes wonder if storing stacks of negative folders (inside binders) is bad for the negatives. So far I have not done anything about it except for not putting too many folders per binder and not stacking the binders on top of each other. Those box binders earlier in the thread look very interesting...

ic-racer · Jul 15, 2020

The printfile pages accept these hanging rods. This lets me hang the negative pages in hanging file boxes. I have stored my negatives like that for the last 25 years.

I look at the picture I posted and it is dated 15 years ago. I have twelve of those boxes filled with negatives now.

Stephen Prunier · Jul 16, 2020

ic-racer said:
The printfile pages accept these hanging rods. This lets me hang the negative pages in hanging file boxes. I have stored my negatives like that for the last 25 years.

I look at the picture I posted and it is dated 15 years ago. I have twelve of those boxes filled with negatives now.

That's what I do too. It works well.

Sirius Glass · Jul 16, 2020

I had that problem and ended up buy a PrintFile binder and years later a PrintFile box for the later negatives. I considered it just part of the cost of doing business since the sizes of the negatives dictate the size of the PrintFile sheets.

gijsbert · Jul 16, 2020

ic-racer said:
The printfile pages accept these hanging rods. This lets me hang the negative pages in hanging file boxes. I have stored my negatives like that for the last 25 years.

I look at the picture I posted and it is dated 15 years ago. I have twelve of those boxes filled with negatives now.

Cool, you put rod through the holes I guess?
Thanks.

ic-racer · Jul 17, 2020

gijsbert said:
Cool, you put rod through the holes I guess?
Thanks.

No, the pages have a slot (usually under the white area at the top) where the hanging rod slides. You have to buy the rods separate. The pages that have the special slot are called "HB" which means "H" for HANGiNG and "B" for [3-ring] BINDER.
The ones that won't hang are designated with "B" only.

jay moussy · Jul 18, 2020

ic-racer said:
No, the pages have a slot (usually under the white area at the top) where the hanging rod slides. You have to buy the rods separate. The pages that have the special slot are called "HB" which means "H" for HANGiNG and "B" for [3-ring] BINDER.
The ones that won't hang are designated with "B" only.

I was following the thread, as I need to get started with storage. The above is very helpful, as I really wanted to go with hanging. Do the sheets take the common size rod as found on hanging folders? (large stock of "retired" old-school folders, dumpster-diving at old workplace!)

ic-racer · Jul 18, 2020

Yes, I think so. The last rods I got from B&H were plastic and almost twice as large as the metal ones, and they fit. One thing about metal rods. The weight of the metal rods really adds up in a large file box that is packed with negatives. When you lift the box of hanging negatives I can feel like you are storing glass plates in there .

Besk · Jul 18, 2020

Wilson-Jones makes a 3 ring binder (not vinyl) that has slide out hangers that can go into a file box. If you put the large HB pages in the binder they will stick out and the combination will not work in a file box. It will work with the smaller pages that I use.

Renato Tonelli · Jul 18, 2020

I use these from Archival Methods:

https://www.archivalmethods.com/product/1-1-2-39-39-binder-with-tab-slipcase

The slip case keeps the binder neat and free of dust.

What brand 3-ring binder for Print File pages?

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