For all those into scrapbooking, preserving memories is the main purpose why it is a must to scrapbook. In reality, there is more to it than just journaling and keeping the pictures in albums. It is important to know what types of materials are needed to help in preserving those photos. Below are explanations on what is and the importance of using acid-free papers and materials.
Have you seen old newspapers, albums, or paperbacks? They turn brown or dark yellow. The quality of paper is slowly deteriorating. Paper is usually made out of wood pulp. And wood has lignin, a substance that helps its cell wall to become more rigid and strong. Lignin also makes the paper brittle and easy to breakdown. On the other hand, simple science tells us that acid is a compound that eats away substances but it makes it easier to write on paper. But lignin intensifies acid. So for preservation purposes like documents and historical books before, eliminating the lignin and neutralizing this acid in papers was made.
When they produce the paper, they add some mild bases like calcium bicarbonate to neutralize the acids reaching the pH 7. Then they also buffer, which means putting more base, to make allowance for possibility of acids to occur after. This becomes alkaline papers which is more than pH 7. This helps the lifespan of the paper to be 500 years or more.
If you want higher grades of paper, look for archival paper. This type of paper is used for publications. They can be wood-based pulp or made of cotton pulp. Paper that is made from cotton, linen, or hemp, the longevity of the paper greatly increases.
So the next time you purchase materials for scrapbooking, it is best to look for labels that have ph 8 and above, photo safe, and archival quality. If they are acid-free, this is ok but they have the tendency to acquire acid in other materials, if not prevented. This is because there is no more enough acid tolerance for the material to absorb. It also is more expensive, because of the production costs. But at least acid-free papers and materials such as stickers and pen will preserve your photos and your scrapbook page itself will last longer than normal papers.
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