Did you know that many of the printed photos you have of your family will turn yellow or fade in color by the time that your children are old enough to appreciate them? If they are exposed to sunlight, moisture, household chemicals or any other acidic element (the wood frame you have it displayed in) – this is the reality. Even if the picture is framed behind glass – is the glass uv-blocking? Chances are if it wasn’t custom framed it is not.
Case in point : Above is a childhood picture of me at the beach that was framed at my parent’s house for the longest time. When my mom gave this to me, I was shocked to see the yellowing and fading that was happening. This picture isn’t even 25 years old!
In the world of digital systems failing and phones being upgraded – we are losing the original files to reprint. When I asked my mom if she still had the film negative of that picture – her response was pretty straight. to. the. point. LOL.)
Isn’t it more expensive in the long run? Shouldn’t we print it right the first time to save money, save the headache of finding the original file and preserve it for generations behind us? (This isn’t a knock at my parents – they simply didn’t know better! Most of us don’t.)
So, what makes a print archival? Archival prints are those that are printed with archival pigments on acid/lignin free cotton rag paper. To increase the lifespan the paper needs to also be free of optical brighteners. If these are printed correctly and stored properly – color prints have a 200-year lifetime from yellowing or fading and b/w prints 400 years!
This is why it matters to go archival when printing! It isn’t a new hype word. It’s making the decision to give those coming behind you something physical – in a world of digital – a piece of their childhood, family history or whatever it may be.
I would imagine handing your child a box of printed childhood pictures they have never seen would be more impactful than showing them the Instagram account you’ve shared their pictures to for years (that the world saw before they even did…).
I am playing devil’s advocate a little bit here – but these are true realities and probably your reality, too, without you even knowing it!
Good news – where can you find archival prints? Well, us! Any picture you print from your family gallery is 100% archival.
Let’s leave something lasting behind for those we love in a world that just “posts.”
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