Please no plastic sleeves if at all possible.

March 9, 2007 9:23 AM

Glossy photos facing each other? I'm putting photos into a scrapbook using old-fashioned photo corners, so they're mostly exposed. I've got half of my 200+ photos mounted, and suddenly wondered whether I should have avoided having their surfaces touch when the book is closed.

I really *like* being able to use both the left and right pages, and this is a really photo-intense project. The photos look great mounted on the spacious (9 x 14) pages, and each set of facing pages goes together. But will the facing photo surfaces meld together over time? And is there anything I can do about it?

If I do need to worry about it, can just I put some kind of onion-skin sheets between each page? Or treat the photos somehow?

Apparently I can buy sheet protectors (2nd item down) that go with this specific book, but they are $5 for 10, and I'll probably end up with 70 - 100 pages.

I was hoping there was a simpler solution that didn't involve a lot of plastic. I really don't like plastic and would prefer to avoid plastic sleeves.

I've considered just putting a blank refill page between each set of two pages, but geez that won't look very nice. And I'd love to be able to just sit down and page through the thing.

I hesitated to use a "scrapbooking" tag because, as far as I can tell, this isn't scrapbooking in the currently-popular sense, but what the heck.

posted by amtho to Media & Arts (8 answers total)

Years ago I bought a very nice, expensive photo album and a bunch of photo corners to put together all of the photos that my mother left behind. I've not had any problems with facing photos "melding" together. Some photos are matte, many are glossy. YMMV
posted by FlamingBore at 9:29 AM on March 9, 2007

Response by poster: I wonder if the photos will dry over time, such that fresh photos (as mine are) are more likely to stick together than more "seasoned" photos, like your mother's.

My photos are all glossy, in case that matters.
posted by amtho at 9:36 AM on March 9, 2007

"fresh" = still wet - yes they'll stick. But if the photos have completely dried and are set then I don't think there would be a problem if the album is kept dry. If you live in a damp climate you may face issues but I'm not sure what the best course of preventive action would be.
posted by FlamingBore at 9:52 AM on March 9, 2007

Slips of tissue paper between the pages for storage might be an idea if you're worried.
posted by tristeza at 10:11 AM on March 9, 2007

i'd be tempted to put something between the pages too- i suggest you use archival quality acid-free tissue or vellum- regular paper might damage the photos too (over time).
posted by twistofrhyme at 10:31 AM on March 9, 2007

Second tristeza on the tissue paper dividers.
Depending on how they're stored (and how rarely they're looked-at), there is a slight chance that glossy photos will stick to each other over time. More-so, if you live in a particularly warm or humid environment.
posted by Thorzdad at 11:40 AM on March 9, 2007

Response by poster: Can anyone recommend a source for the correct size of tissue paper? I'll need ~100 sheets, I think about 11" x 14".

Thank you for the responses so far!
posted by amtho at 11:46 AM on March 9, 2007

It depends on what kind of prints they are, which you didn't specify. I would be worried about inkjet prints - especially if they are fresh, that could mean big trouble. Inkjet prints are also susceptible to water so things like humidity could cause them to stick to each other down the road.

Traditional RA-4 prints (from negatives, or if you're getting digital prints made on a Frontier or similiar machine) will be totally fine.
posted by bradbane at 2:15 PM on March 10, 2007