8x10 negative storage ?

[agregov]

Michael Smith is another option for folders and archival boxes. http://lodima.org/archival-materials/archival-boxes/

[Vaughn]

Thanks! I'll stay with the 4-fold ones from Conservation Resources for my 8x10 and small sheet sizes needs. But the simpler ones for 11x14 negatives from Smith might be the way I go!

[Vaughn]

Vaughn, Do you use buffered or non-buffered material for B&W negatives? I was thinking that buffered was better but I'm not sure.

Generally unbuffered...but I live in a relatively clean-air environment. If one's air is less clean (most cities), then a buffered paper would be much better. Also unbuffered is fine with just about everything, where buffers could cause problems with some color material.

[Michael Kadillak]

I went back to my notes on what I did last time and here are the numbers. Archivalmuseumsupplies.com

SplitFile sheets of 17x22" of paper specifically designed for B&W film is $52 per 100 sheet pack. Cut a small piece off an edge, do your own folding and you can get it done for a bit more than $0.25 per 8 1/2" x 10 1/2" folder. I can use the same size for 8x20 folders.

Save your money for FILM.

Cheers!

[Chester McCheeserton]

Thanks Everyone. With all due respect and appreciation for the tips I think the 4 fold one are totally overkill for my purposes!

I have about 400 negs from 12 years ago documenting urban landscape scenes in LA. The 10-20 "good ones" or ones I enlarged in the darkoom and/or drum scanned I will keep in their own sleeve, but for all the rest I'm aiming to cut up and destroy the duplicates, organize the negative with it's corresponding contact print, and shrink not expand my storage footprint!

They are all currently in clear Polypro sleeves made by Calumet in the three ring binders with sealed edges. What about placing a thin sheet of buffered acid free paper between the neg and print? Or can anyone share a specific experience where the negs have been damaged by storing this way? The vast majority will likely never be printed again!

[axs810]

Personally given the nature of fiber paper I wouldn't put the two in the same sleeve for archiving purposes. Unless the environment is well controlled in regards to humidity.

There are a lot of nice options out there but I'd recommend print file paper envelopes like these:
https://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/produ..._Negative.html

Store the negative in the paper envelope and the print together in this and write the document name on the side area:
https://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/produ..._Page_for.html


I prefer paper envelopes for negatives over Polypro sleeves because I constantly try to minimize dust. From my own experiences I've found the paper envelopes work best for me in terms of avoiding dust getting attracted onto the sleeve and in my opinion help avoid any possible scratches when pulling the negative out for scanning or printing. It's real nit-picky though and nothing scientific...just things I've learned along the way while working for our mutual friend.


IMO, I still wouldn't bundle the neg/print together for archiving purposes because of how fiber paper acts when the humidity changes. If you do though make sure the film emulsion is facing away from the print. I wouldn't want the fiber paper to slightly curl and possibly scratch the emulsion side. But if you were to bundle up on the storage then I would use the paper envelope and the print file 8x10 p2 sleeves together. Even if you don't plan on using the negatives again I wouldn't cheap out on this part just because you never know if you might change your mind...plus shooting 8x10 is expensive.


Disclaimer: I've never stored anything like this before so you might need to find an 8.5x11 sleeve (for the second linked item) instead of using 8x10 sizes for both.

[Chuck Pere]

Generally unbuffered...but I live in a relatively clean-air environment. If one's air is less clean (most cities), then a buffered paper would be much better. Also unbuffered is fine with just about everything, where buffers could cause problems with some color material.

Thanks for the information.

[Chester McCheeserton]

Personally given the nature of fiber paper I wouldn't put the two in the same sleeve for archiving purposes. Unless the environment is well controlled in regards to humidity.

There are a lot of nice options out there but I'd recommend print file paper envelopes like these:
https://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/produ..._Negative.html

Store the negative in the paper envelope and the print together in this and write the document name on the side area:
https://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/produ..._Page_for.html

Disclaimer: I've never stored anything like this before so you might need to find an 8.5x11 sleeve (for the second linked item) instead of using 8x10 sizes for both.

Resurrecting this thread to say 3 things:

1. I went through the 50 or so negatives that I actually took the time to match up with their corresponding contact print and had stored touching each other - neither in it's own separate sleeve, they were both inside Calumet brand 8x10 poly neg pages. 6 years later there was no immediate sign of damage to either print or neg - no sticking together or anything. And my space def got up over 100 degrees several times during summer heat when I was not home to turn on AC when traveling. I did take them all out and am trying to figure out a better way.

2. For anyone considering asx810's suggestion - heed the disclaimer, the paper envelope would indeed not fit into the 8x10 poly sleeve, Hopefully B&H will let me exchange them for 8.5 x 11.

3. It's still a dilemma, that I think boils down to what makes sense as a working photography wanting to organize an archive for ability to locate negs for future printing. And a printmaker, who just wants to store the 8x10 fiber contacts on their own in an 8x10 clamshell acid free portfolio box. It's further complicated by the need to eventually digitize all these and get dig files into my "master" Lightroom catalog.

My solution for 5x7 was to store the negs in plastic fold lock individual sleeves and write the file name of the flatbed scan on the sleeve and store it next to a quick and dirty matte inkjet print labeled on back with the same # and store that in a tan flip lock box. What's stopping me from doing that with these 8x10 is that fact the the fiber prints are "Final" ie decent prints that were an investment to make - don't want the wear and tear of flipping through them all the time, or writing file names on back.

[Tin Can]

I stack prints interleaved with tissue

inside archival boxes

in a big buy 25 years ago

Still have plenty

35mm enlarged on their matt board


now i store bigger prints in new 35 year old Snap tool box which does not outgas

it was electrostatic painted in a water dip

my good gear is in Stainless steel armoire with vents

no dust