Keeping Your Scrapbooking Photos Safe

I'm sure some of you, like me, have caused damage to your precious scrapbook photos at one time or another and regretted it deeply. Here's a useful article from Nicole Humphrey at http://scrapbooking.families.com/blog/ on preventing fingerprints and scratches.


Keeping Your Photos Safe: Fingerprints and Scratches

Fingerprints can quickly diminish the quality of your photographs. And although a fingerprint can be avoided or wiped away, a scratch is permanent and it is a costly situation to have repaired by a professional. These are two additional ways that your photos can be damaged and two situations that need to be addressed.

When handling your photographs, you should hold the edges. Some experts recommend wearing a special type of glove, but I have found that unnecessary. As long as when holding photographs, you attempt to hold the edges, you should be alright. You can place your photos in place on your layouts by using tweezers, though precautions should be taken with this method too. Keeping a photo safe cloth handy to wipe away fingerprints as well. Be careful that you use a photo safe cloth and not just any old cloth, because certain fibers can cause scratches.
I have just told you two ways that scratches can occur. A pair of tweezers can cause scratches if you don't handle the photograph carefully, in addition the tweezers can cause creases in the photograph as well. Certain fibers that are found in different clothes, can cause minute scratches in your photographs as well.
To avoid scratches you will want to be sure to handle your photographs with care, in addition to storing your photographs carefully. Do not place lumpy bumpy or metal items near your photos in your scrapbooks. Take special care to ensure that the opposing layout does not have something that can rub up against the other layout.
Scratches can also occur by improper photo storage. If your photos are in envelopes with clasps, these can rub up against the photo and cause scratches and creases. In fact, the number one cause of photo scratches is careless photo storage. Doesn't sound good, does it? And it is a completely easy fix.
The majority of keeping your photos safe, lies in careful and proper storage. This is the same for water damage and extreme temperatures as well.