What to Look for in a Photo Storage Box

When it comes to safeguarding your valuable photographs, the proper archival solutions – including good quality photo storage boxes – are important. Good quality archival storage boxes will insure that your photographs remain in good condition for years. Archival photo storage solutions also include the use of clear bags, which will protect your photos from moisture and other environmental hazards while allowing you to see the photo itself. But what should you look for in a proper photo storage box?

Obviously, you cannot simply place loose photographs into just any cardboard box , stash it in a closet or attic then expect it to remain in good condition. A good quality photo storage box, like proper picture frames, are designed to preserve photographs from what people like to call the “ravages of time” – but are actually a combination of factors, including environmental pollutants and contaminants, humidity, and temperature fluctuations as well as acidity that can cause the kinds of chemical reactions with photographic dyes that lead to staining and discoloration.

The material used for archival storage boxes is typically treated with an alkaline substance that is designed to neutralize any acidic substances that may come in contact with the surface of the photo. This substance, known as a buffering agent, is impregnated into the material of the box itself.

What goes for a photo storage box also apples to picture frames, incidentally. Framing is simply another form of archival photo storage, and the same concerns about moisture and acidity are the same, with one addition – ultraviolet light.

It seems ironic that the same light that allows photographs to be created in the first place can be responsible for the destruction of those same photographs – but it’s true. The sun’s ultra-violet rays can cause photos to fade and/or turn yellow. Everything that you will look for in good quality archival storage boxes for your photos are things that you will want in your framing and matting supplies. These too should be treated with high-pH buffering agents that protect the surface of the photo from acid damage.

In fact, any photos that you put into archival storage should be affixed to alkaline mount board before being placed into the proper clear bags in order to prevent them from curling up over time.

A good quality photo storage box is the best investment you can make in protecting your valuable artifacts from environmental damage. It’s important not to skimp on this detail; make absolutely certain that you purchase the best archival storage boxes you can afford, and you’ll rest easier, knowing they are safe and will be ready for framing when the day comes.