QUESTION: I use several different labs to develop my photos. They use different types of paper. I had read that Fuji was the most archival, but I don't care for the developing that the lab that uses Fuji does. The papers in use at the labs I patronize are AFGA, Kodak, Konica. What can you tell me about the relative archival qualities of these different papers. (Include Fuji, too.)

Thanks,
Dorothy S

ANSWER: I took a look around the Wilhelm Research website and got the current information on picture longevity according to the papers that they are developed on. 

Do you know how long your Kodak pictures are going to last before they start fading? 60-80 years or longer, right? Would you be shocked to know that Kodak EktaColor and Duralife papers are only expected to last 18 years before fading and Kodak Professional Portra III are rated at only 14 years. AGFA paper is only rated 13 years and Konica paper 14 years.

The good news is that Fuji Crystal Archive paper is rated at 60 years.
Usually I find Fuji papers at Wal-Mart and Sam's Club stores but you have to call around and do some checking to see what your local labs use.

I Subscribe to the belief that you should use what ever you want to use in your scrapbooks, but that there is usually a safe way to incorporate materials that are unsafe. I feel that it is worth a little extra time and effort to try and make your albums as safe as possible. Remember that using high quality scrapbooking supplies does prolong the life of your photos, but if you want your scrapbooks to last a long time there are MANY factors to consider. The quality of the developer that you use and the temperature of the room where your photos are stored are also very important factors. If you have been using a less stable paper (like Kodak, Konica or AGFA) safe supplies are even MORE important to you than to those using FUJI papers.



QUESTION: My grandfather saved a box full of newspaper articles over many years regarding our family history. Unfortunately they have just been stored in envelopes and are deteriorating quickly. He also did a lot of typing (one finger on an old manual typewriter) in the last few years of his life. The information and stories he has written about are precious. I would like to preserve the newspaper articles, his stories and perhaps put them with some old photo graphs in an album. (Otherwise no one is going to remember who these people are.) Do you have any suggestions? How can I preserve the newsprint?
Judy

ANSWER: What a wonderful treasure you have! You have several options for using the articles and papers in your albums. You can buy a product like Archival Mist and use the original newspapers in your books. However, the paper will continue to be brittle and to brown. The second option and the one that I highly recommend is to take the articles to a copy center and copy them onto acid-free, lignin-free paper that is beige, off-white, antique white or some other "yellowed" color. These copies can then be sued safely in your albums and will look aged like the originals. I would do the same for the type written letters that you have - just copy them onto acid-free, lignin-free paper and use the copy in your albums.



QUESTION: I have just begun scrapbooking and love it. I have an aunt in Minnesota who also scrapbooks. On a recent visit she told me that you can use wallpaper book samples for paper for scrapbooking. She just goes to the wallpaper store and get their discontinued books. She said that she had read on the internet somewhere that wallpaper is safe to use. Before I begin to use it I was wonder if you have any information on the topic. She gave me a couple of books but I can't find anywhere on the book or pages that it is acid free. Plus I was concerned if it has any pre-pasting material on it and if that is safe. I would appreciate any information you could give me. Thank you for your service. You have a wonderful site. Cindy F

ANSWER: Most Wallpaper is acidic and some contains vinyl. There are many scrapbookers on the Internet who are well-intentioned and have posted information about using wallpaper to save money but there is no way for you to know if it is safe. Even if you use a pH pen to check the acidity most wallpaper probably contains lignin which in time will breakdown and BECOME acidic. If you REALLY want to use wallpaper, you could spray it with Archival Mist but at $50 per bottle that makes your wallpaper an expensive addition to your scrapbookers AND the wallpaper may still turn brown even after being sprayed with Archival Mist.

Have a question about scrapbooking?  Please e-mail the Scrapbooking Team at 411@Scrapbooking.com with your question.  If we don’t know the answer, we will definitely find someone who does.  We will occasionally post your e-mail, (without your address), so that other scrapbookers can benefit.  Likewise if you have a question that you want answered by many, we will post it for answers from others in the scrapbooking community. 

We have formed a partnership with many manufacturers and they would be happy to answer specific questions that you might have.  411 has the capability to become your one stop site to get answers to your general Scrapbooking questions.

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