I have been interested in Archival quality storage since reading about a master photographer who lost a great deal of her work due to improper negative treatment before storage. In short, she did not fix the negative long enough and did not clean it long enough. The result was lost images of great importance. I still cry when I think of the D-day images from Robert Capa that were lost due to improper temperature setting while drying the negatives.
Most of the pictures I take are not worth saving, but some, of family, vacations, or just genuinely good images I would like to keep. The problem is that you do not know when you will encounter one of those on your film roll. So the best bet is to treat them all like treasures and develop, store and print with Archival Quality in mind.
While this section of my website is supposed to be dedicated to the Darkroom, Archival Quality Storage takes place in three areas. The first is in film development, then it moves to silver gelatin print making and finally negative and print storage. I will walk you through the methods I have adopted. Now I should give credit where credit is due....some of what you will see here I learned from "Way Beyond Monochrome" by Ralph Lambrecht and Chris Woodhouse. Some of what I have adopted comes from John Finch on Pictorial Planet (both his books and YouTube channel).
Film Development:
Nothing fancy needs to be done except to understand what and why you are doing everything.
Silver Gelatin Print:
You also want to ensure that your print lasts as long as possible. Unlike the negative, that will be stored in a sleeve, protected from air and light, your print will be exposed to air and light. So an extra fixing step has been added.
Print Display:
Ok now you need to frame your image. Here you want to stay away from anything acidic or basic. You just spent an hour on a final wash to remove those chemicals, the last thing we want to do is add something back. So the tape you use, the pen or pencil you use to write on it must be acid free. You need to get the proper tools to avoid problem in the next few years. I use "Linen Hinging Tape by Linen" to tape my print down.
Most of the pictures I take are not worth saving, but some, of family, vacations, or just genuinely good images I would like to keep. The problem is that you do not know when you will encounter one of those on your film roll. So the best bet is to treat them all like treasures and develop, store and print with Archival Quality in mind.
While this section of my website is supposed to be dedicated to the Darkroom, Archival Quality Storage takes place in three areas. The first is in film development, then it moves to silver gelatin print making and finally negative and print storage. I will walk you through the methods I have adopted. Now I should give credit where credit is due....some of what you will see here I learned from "Way Beyond Monochrome" by Ralph Lambrecht and Chris Woodhouse. Some of what I have adopted comes from John Finch on Pictorial Planet (both his books and YouTube channel).
Film Development:
Nothing fancy needs to be done except to understand what and why you are doing everything.
- Developer: Pick one and stick with it. If you are going to make your own, just stick to one recipe until you clearly know what to expect from it. I buy mine and stick with ID-11 whenever possible. I like it because you can buy it in power form and make five liters in one batch.
- STOP: Stop bath is just acidic chemical that does not impact the negative base. You need something below 5PH but above 3PH. I prefer somewhere as close to 4PH as possible. Lower PH is not good for the negative base. You can use diluted white vinegar if you can stand the smell. Or you can use Citric acid or just buy some from Ilford or Kodak.
- Fixer: Here you need to know what you are doing. If you purchase Rapid Fixer you are good. Some new films, like TMAX and Delta are best used with a rapid fixer. More traditional films can use Rapid or normal. Test your fixer with the leader portion of your film and dip it into your Fixer. A rapid fixer will make your leader clear in 30sec to 45sec. Normal fixer can take 1min to 1:30min. Either way for proper fixing you need to double this time.
- Rinse Part I: You need to rinse this well. You need to get all those chemicals off your film. This takes allot of water or allot of agitation and a medium amount of water. I run water through my film constantly for the first two minutes.
- Rinse Hypo Eliminator: Here I mix 1 liter of water with 1 teaspoon of Baking Soda and agitate it in the tank for 3 minutes.
- Rinse Part II: I then fill the tank with tap water and agitate for 30 inversions. I then empty and refill the tank for 20 inversions. I then empty and refill the tank for 10 inversions.
- Final Rinse: I use distilled water with a drop of wetting agent to keep the water marks off the negative.
- Dry: I then pull the negative and hang it to dry. I put a weighted clip on the bottom to keep it straight. I hang it in my darkroom and walk out until it is dry.
- Storage: I then take the dry negative and I wipe it through an antistatic cloth. I then cut them to size and store them in an acid free archival negative sleeve. This gets put into a folder and is stored in a cool dark place.
Silver Gelatin Print:
You also want to ensure that your print lasts as long as possible. Unlike the negative, that will be stored in a sleeve, protected from air and light, your print will be exposed to air and light. So an extra fixing step has been added.
- Developer (3-5 minutes): The choice of developer will affect the contrast and grain of your print. I watch the print develop and look out for the mid tones. The first image that will be seen will be your blackest parts of the image. I keep watching it and then when I see mid tones start to show up I then multiply that time by six. So if it takes 30 seconds I multiply this by six and get 3 minutes. That developer, for that print will need 3 minutes to get it right. As your print session goes on, retime it to see how it changes. Temperature will also impact this time.
- Stop Bath (30 sec): A simple acidic solution either citric acid, white vinegar or a Kodak / Ilford stop bath works.
- First Fixer Bath (1 minute): This bath, using sodium thiosulfate, removes unexposed silver halides, essential for stabilizing the image.
- Fresh Water Bath (10 seconds): Helps to eliminate any residual fixer before the second bath.
- Second Fixer Bath (3-5 minutes): A fresh fixer bath ensures thorough removal of any remaining unexposed silver, vital for the longevity of the print.
- Washing (5 minutes): Running water helps to further cleanse the print of any fixer residues.
- Baking Soda Bath (5-10 minutes): Using sodium bicarbonate, this step neutralizes any remaining acidity from the fixer. A 10-minute soak in a 1-liter solution with 1 teaspoon of baking soda is ideal.
- Rinsing (5 minutes): Another rinse in running water ensures that all chemicals are sufficiently removed.
- Selenium Toning (2 minutes): A toning bath in a 1:4 ratio will convert silver to selenide, offering protection and enhancing the print’s character. If a subtler effect is desired, a 1:19 dilution can be used.
- Final Wash (1 hour): A comprehensive wash is crucial for ensuring that all chemicals are eliminated, setting the stage for proper drying.
Print Display:
Ok now you need to frame your image. Here you want to stay away from anything acidic or basic. You just spent an hour on a final wash to remove those chemicals, the last thing we want to do is add something back. So the tape you use, the pen or pencil you use to write on it must be acid free. You need to get the proper tools to avoid problem in the next few years. I use "Linen Hinging Tape by Linen" to tape my print down.
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One roll will last me years and while I have been using this type of tape for about five years only, when I go back to my images I can peel off the tape without any damage.
I then pay a bit of attention to the frame glass being used. Here the enemy you are keep at bay is UV light. There are three types of UV light A, B and C. Any glass will stop UVB and UVC but will only stop about 25% of UVA light. UVA can age a print, yes even a silver gelatin print. How big of an issue this is depends on where you hang the picture. If it is out of direct sunlight, the UVA impact is very small so not much to concern yourself with. If it is in direct sunlight, say on the other side of a window, then you should be more concerned. TruVue glass is something I have tried. It is supposed to block 99% of all UV light. As an added bonus it cuts reflection down a great deal |
The cost of TruVue glass is not bad for normal size frames. An 10x12 inch (something to show an 8x10 photograph with a mat) runs about USD 15.00. You can save a bit my ordering in larger quantities. One option, order an inexpensive frame and the TruVue glass separate. I find that they match up well and you wind up with a great protection at a reasonable price.
Now everything that touches your print should be acid free. Cheap frames are fine, but cheap mat board can cause issues. I try to stay away from cheap wooden frames as they could excrete gasses. A bit of common sense should steer you clear of the big dangers. If you are worried, just go to a reputable frame store and spend a bit more money (usually about three times the price of a cheap frame) and you should be set.
Once the picture is in the frame, I add my full print description on the back of the frame so as to eliminate any need to open it. I then take a sealing tape (I use Frame Sealing Tape also by Lineco) and seal around the back of the frame. The goal is to reduce the air and dust entering it. Now this only works if the frame to glass fit is proper. Unless the frame is very cheap I do not usually see a problem there.
Now everything that touches your print should be acid free. Cheap frames are fine, but cheap mat board can cause issues. I try to stay away from cheap wooden frames as they could excrete gasses. A bit of common sense should steer you clear of the big dangers. If you are worried, just go to a reputable frame store and spend a bit more money (usually about three times the price of a cheap frame) and you should be set.
Once the picture is in the frame, I add my full print description on the back of the frame so as to eliminate any need to open it. I then take a sealing tape (I use Frame Sealing Tape also by Lineco) and seal around the back of the frame. The goal is to reduce the air and dust entering it. Now this only works if the frame to glass fit is proper. Unless the frame is very cheap I do not usually see a problem there.
