How to Preserve Old Photos: A Practical Guide

The single most effective thing you can do for a box of family photos is unglamorous: get it out of the attic or the basement and into an interior closet. Temperature and humidity do more damage over a decade than handling ever will, and they're the one variable you control completely.

Here's what the conservation bodies actually recommend, with the numbers, and what's worth ignoring.

Get the environment right first

The Library of Congress gives a specific target: "A relatively dry (30-50% relative humidity (RH)), cool (70°F or below), and stable environment is best." It adds that RH is "the single most important factor in preserving most photographic prints," and that "ideally, RH fluctuations should be less than 5% within a 24 hour period."

Stability is doing as much work in that sentence as the numbers. NEDCC notes that "the rate of chemical deterioration of most photographic materials doubles (approximately) with each 10°F increase in temperature" — but also that "fluctuations in temperature and RH can cause structural damage to the photographic supports (paper or glass) as well as to the emulsion layer." A closet that sits at a steady 68°F beats a room that swings between 60 and 80.

Color photographs are a separate case. Their dyes fade in the dark, not just in light, and the Library of Congress recommends storing color prints and film negatives at "40°F or below" because "temperature is the controlling factor affecting stability."

Where not to store them, from the same source: "Avoid storage in attics; basements; in close proximity to vents, fireplaces and radiators; along exterior walls; or other locations with high risk for condensation, water leaks, and extreme environmental fluctuations." Keep boxes off the floor. Mold, per the Library of Congress, "tends to grow when the RH is greater than 60% and the temperature is above 75-80° F" — which describes most garages in July.

Buy enclosures that passed the test, not enclosures that say "archival"

This is where money gets wasted. NEDCC is direct about it: "Labels such as acid-free, lignin-free, or buffered do not guarantee that a material is safe to use with photographs. Even these chemically stable papers may be harmful to the photographic image. The only way to be certain of the inertness of the paper is to purchase materials that have passed the Photographic Activity Test (PAT)."

The PAT is a real standard — ISO 18916 — and it tests two specific failure modes: fading caused by chemicals in the enclosure, and staining reactions between the enclosure and the print's gelatin. Reputable suppliers state PAT compliance on the product page. If a listing says "archival quality" and nothing else, that phrase means nothing — ISO's own description of the test says so directly: passing it "does not indicate that a material is archival. This term has no clear definition and is not used in this standard."

For plastics, the rule is simple and unanimous. Use uncoated polyester, polypropylene, or polyethylene. Never use PVC — NEDCC calls it "not chemically stable" and says it "will cause deterioration of a photograph over time." It's often sold as "vinyl."

For paper enclosures, buffered versus unbuffered is the question people get stuck on. The Library of Congress recommends buffered paper for "brittle prints that have been mounted onto poor quality secondary supports" and says buffered is "not recommended for dye transfer prints, cyanotypes or some architectural reproductions." NEDCC's more recent guidance relaxes it: "Choosing between buffered and unbuffered paper is less important than previously thought; both types of paper can pass the Photographic Activity Test." If you have a mixed family box and no cyanotypes, either is fine — spend your attention on PAT compliance instead.

One small detail that's easy to get right and easy to miss: if you use paper envelopes, put the image side away from the seam. The Library of Congress explains why — "the adhesives used to seal envelopes may cause staining and fading of the silver image."

The things actively causing damage right now

Most photo damage in a family collection comes from a short list of materials that were sold as photo storage:

• "Magnetic" albums. The Library of Congress says to "avoid albums with colored, 'magnetic,' or sticky self-adhesive pages." NEDCC: those pages "are often highly acidic and can permanently bond themselves to photographs." Use corner mounts and acid-free paper instead.
• Pressure-sensitive tape. Once applied it is, per the Library of Congress, "extremely difficult to remove and often creates condition problems over time." Don't tape a torn photo — our guide to restoring torn photos covers the digital route.
• Paper clips, staples, rubber bands. All three appear in the Library of Congress's do-not-use list. Rubber bands in particular degrade into a sticky residue that fuses to prints.
• Glassine and kraft sleeves. Both are named by NEDCC as unsuitable; glassine "is not recommended for the storage of photographs."
• Ballpoint and marker. If you must label, the guidance is a soft graphite pencil, on the back, near the edge — and better still, label the enclosure rather than the photo.

Store prints flat where you can. The Library of Congress recommends horizontal storage for "prints on brittle mounts and oversize photographs," and notes that if you store vertically, the box should be "snugly filled" or spaced so nothing slumps. Glass plate negatives are the exception: store those upright to prevent breakage.

Display copies, not originals

Light damage is cumulative and cannot be undone. NEDCC: "ongoing exposure to light will cause cumulative and irreversible harm to photographs. Light can cause permanent embrittlement, yellowing, and fading in prints and negatives." The Library of Congress adds that this holds "even if behind UV-filtering glass," and recommends framing "a facsimile" and keeping the original in storage for anything of personal, monetary, or historic value.

So: hang a reprint. Rotate what's on display. Keep frames out of direct and indirect sun, and make sure the print isn't touching the glazing — use a window mat or spacers.

Handle less, and handle by the edges

The disagreement between sources is narrower than it looks. The Library of Congress permits "clean hands or... clean nitrile gloves" and notes gloves "can limit dexterity and become soiled." NEDCC and the National Archives both say gloves. What all of them say identically is the part that matters: don't touch the image area, hold prints by the edges or the enclosure, and keep food and drink away from the work surface.

Cotton gloves shed fibers; nitrile is the current recommendation where gloves are used.

Then digitize — and understand what that does and doesn't do

A scan is not preservation of the object. It's insurance against losing the image, and it's the only copy that doesn't degrade. Both are worth having.

Scan at 600 DPI or higher, save TIFF or PNG rather than JPEG, and keep the raw scan untouched as your master — our photo scanning guide has the full checklist, including how to handle brittle prints on a flatbed. For slides and negatives, digitizing slides and negatives covers the different workflow those need.

Once a photo is digital, damage that's already happened can be addressed on the copy rather than the object — photo restoration works on the scan and never touches the print. Fading, staining, scratches, and tears are all repairable digitally — the guide to restoring old photos covers the order of operations, and removing a yellow tint covers the specific case of a print that's gone yellow-brown from residual processing chemicals.

Back up the scans in two places, at least one of them not in your house. A fire doesn't care how good your enclosures are.

FAQ

What temperature and humidity? 30–50% RH and 70°F or below, with under 5% daily humidity swing. Color prints and negatives do best at 40°F or below.

Is "acid-free" enough? No. Look for the Photographic Activity Test (ISO 18916). "Archival" on a label is a marketing word with no standard behind it.

Are magnetic albums bad? Yes — the self-adhesive pages are typically acidic and can bond permanently to the print.

Do I need gloves? Sources differ; clean dry hands are accepted by the Library of Congress. Never touch the image area either way.

Does scanning replace good storage? No, it complements it. The scan preserves the image as it is today; storage slows further loss on the original.