Print Types vs. Protective Mediums

There are as many ways to print your photos as there are photos themselves, and likewise, nearly as many ways to preserve them. Ink jet and dye sublimation, as well as traditional methods of printing photos will each benefit from some form of protection from the elements. Sunlight, chemicals like the acid residue found on most papers and temperature extremes can cause pictures to fade, discolor.

Coatings can be applied to the finished photo, which will put a well distributed coating of a chemical base on the surface of your photograph , which dries to a thin film to protect your photograph. The protective film is not thick enough to protect the photo against water damage or acid residue, but provides a degree of protection against fingerprints and ultraviolet damage.

Albums also provide reasonable protection for photos – so long as they are stored in a temperature controlled, dry place.. Albums provide great protection with acid free paper and thin film pages, but do not protect against humidity or water damage.

For the ultimate in protection, consider laminating your photographs. Lamination protects against high light, humidity, chemicals, fingerprints (you can actually wash a laminated picture with soap and water) and nearly any other environmental factor. Laminating works by encasing the photo in a transparent plastic shell. The degree of protection provided by photo laminating can be adjusted by altering the thickness of the laminate used.

The supplies necessary to protect your photographic memories with lamination are minimal. Usually all it takes is a pouch laminating machine, and special photo pouches. Photo laminating pouches such as PhotoPouch brand are specially sized and formulated to work with traditional photograph prints as well as inkjet, laser prints and dye sublimation prints. PhotoPouches will protect your professional or personal quality photographs, are easy to use and provide for your photos protection at a cost that is more than reasonable for home or business use. Laminating machines can be purchased which will coat and seal photographs up to 13 inches in width. The machines themselves are easy to use.

The cost to laminate your photos will be about 10 cents per photo, which seems a very small price to pay for the peace of mind you get back knowing your business or home photos are protected from the elements that might damage or destroy them. In comparison to losing the photo of a lifetime, or losing critical photographic evidence makes that 10 cent investment seem tiny.