How to Protect Family Photos from Damage: Archival Storage Do’s and Don’ts

Sep 29

If you have old photos lying around, it’s important to revisit regularly where they are stored in your home or if being stored remotely – the storage location. Why? Because storage matters! One of the first things I ask someone when we start talking about their photo collection is “where is it currently stored?”.

Physical photos are precious. They can last for hundreds of years if stored properly. If not, they can be ruined in days or months.

Photos negatives and slides are fragile, and without proper storage, they are vulnerable to fading, curling, cracking, or growing mold. If you’ve inherited family albums or uncovered an old box of prints in the attic, learning the best practices for photo storage is essential to preserving your family’s legacy.

Environment is Everything: Where You Store Matters Most

Golden Rule #1: Your photos should live where you live.

That means no basements, attics, garages, or sheds. These places are breeding grounds for mold, pests, and extreme temperatures. Temperature and humidity swings are the silent destroyers of your prints.

Best storage conditions:

Cool (between 65-70°F)
Dry (relative humidity between 30-50%)
Dark (avoid light, especially sunlight, which fades photos fast)

Stick those boxes under the bed, in a closet, or on a shelf inside the house. Note that putting your photos into plastic tubs does not make it water-proof!

The first and most important rule of photo preservation is choosing the right environment. Photos should be stored in the same environment where you live and not in the attic, basement, garage, or shed. These spaces are prone to high humidity, fluctuating temperatures, pests, and other hazards that can accelerate deterioration. Mice love paper and they can damage an entire collection in days. Ideal conditions for storing photographs include a stable, cool temperature between 65 to 70 degrees Fahrenheit, low humidity (around 30 to 50 percent), and minimal exposure to light. Sunlight, in particular, can cause significant fading over time. Closets, under-bed storage, or interior shelving are much safer places to keep your photo collection.

Use the Right Materials: Acid-Free is Your New Best Friend

Not all boxes and albums are created equal. Some materials — especially old albums with “magnetic” sticky pages — are downright dangerous to your photos.

Look for:

Acid-free, lignin-free boxes and folders
Archival-quality photo sleeves made of polyester, polypropylene, or polyethylene
Photo-safe labels or pencils like the Stabilo All pencil (never use a Sharpie or ballpoint pen on your photos!)

Avoid:

Plastic bins not marked photo-safe
Rubber bands, paper clips, tape, or glue
Original adhesive albums from the '70s and '80s

The materials you use for storage matter just as much as where you store them. Ordinary cardboard boxes and traditional sticky albums from decades past are not photo-safe. Instead, use acid-free, lignin-free archival boxes, folders, and albums. Individual photo sleeves made from polyester, polypropylene, or polyethylene can protect prints from physical damage and chemical deterioration. If you need to label photos, avoid ballpoint pens, markers, or sharpies. These can bleed, smear, or damage the photo surface. Instead, use a photo-safe pencil like a Stabilo pencil, which is designed not to transfer or harm your prints.

When handling photographs, it’s best to use nitrile gloves to avoid transferring oils and dirt from your hands. Always handle prints by their edges and avoid bending or creasing them. If you’re removing photos from old sticky albums, use a small palette knife or spatula tool rather than peeling them by hand, which can curl or tear them.

Common Mistakes to Avoid

Let’s clear up a few things that make professional photo organizers like me weep just a little inside:

Storing photos in attics/garages (see Rule #1!)
Throwing away negatives (they’re your originals!)
Tossing development envelopes — they often have dates and clues for organizing
Writing with pens or markers on the backs of photos

And here’s a myth to bust: Organizing by person, place, or theme is not the first step.
Start chronologically — it’s much easier and more accurate.

There are a few common mistakes people make when trying to preserve their photos. Storing prints in attics or garages, tossing original negatives, discarding development envelopes, and organizing by theme rather than date are all pitfalls to avoid. Development envelopes often contain useful clues such as dates, locations, and even hints about the order of events. Negatives are your best original source material and offer the best quality for scanning or reprinting. They also take up less space so don’t toss them! And when it comes to organizing, starting with a chronological system will make your collection easier to manage and more historically accurate.

Albums, Boxes, or Sleeves? Choose What Works for You

Albums: Great for display and browsing. Choose archival options with slip-in pages or use photo corners.
Boxes: Best for bulk storage. Group by decade, event, or person and label clearly.
Sleeves: Ideal for protecting fragile or loose prints before boxing.

Make sure everything you use is archival quality (acid-free) — that includes tissue paper if you’re separating layers.

Choosing how to store your photos comes down to your goals. Albums offer a convenient way to display your favorite images and make them easily accessible. Boxes are perfect for bulk storage, especially if you’re still sorting. Sleeves offer additional protection, particularly for fragile or historically significant prints. Whatever method you choose, the most important thing to remember is to ensure that the materials are archival quality.

Every Clue Counts: Keep Context

Before you toss that old envelope or blurry photo, ask:

Does this envelope have a date?
Is there handwriting on the back?
Could this be the only photo of Great-Uncle Louie?

Everything is a clue. That expired Kodak coupon? That date could help you timestamp. Keep context whenever possible — it adds richness to your collection.

Context is another critical part of photo preservation. Before discarding anything, consider whether it offers valuable information. An old envelope, a blurry print, or even a receipt tucked in with your photos could hold important clues about dates, people, or events. Every detail contributes to the story.

Consider Digitizing for Double Protection

Storing your physical photos properly is step one. Step two is scanning and creating digital backups. If a fire, flood, or hungry golden retriever strikes, your memories are safe in digital form.

Scan at 600 dpi for photos and 4800 dpi for slides and negatives. And remember the 3-2-1 backup rule: 3 copies, 2 types of storage (e.g. external drive and cloud), 1 copy offsite.

Once your photos are safely stored, consider digitizing them as an additional layer of protection. Scanning your prints allows you to back them up and share them more easily. Aim to scan photos at 600 dpi and slides or negatives at 2400 dpi. Apply the 3-2-1 backup method: three copies, on two different types of media, with one copy stored off-site. This provides a safety net in the event of fire, flood, theft, or other unexpected disasters.

Preserving your physical photo collection doesn’t need to be overwhelming. Start with one box or one album, and set a short time block each week to work on it. Progress may be slow, but every step you take is protecting a piece of your history.

If you’re unsure where to begin or feel overwhelmed, I’m here to help. Schedule a free 15-minute consultation and let’s talk about your project. Whether you want to organize, digitize, or simply learn more about proper storage techniques, we can create a plan that fits your needs and goals.

Your memories deserve more than to be forgotten in a shoebox. By following these best practices, you’re not only protecting your photos—you’re preserving the stories and people behind them for future generations.