Sun Rays Can Damage Old Photos Just as Much as Hurricanes and Floods.

Although the start of 2011 hurricane season is still a few months away,  it may not be a hurricane or flood that sweep away the photos that trigger your favorite memories but something far less dramatic than fury of a tempestuous storm. There may be little things that can adversely affect your collection of old and vintage photographs with the same catastrophic effect as a major flood.

A color snapshot from 1967

One of those things is sunlight. Did you know that the sun's rays will cause more deterioration to photographs than storm clouds? Older color photographs are especially susceptible to the sun’s rays. Fluorescent lighting is also a problem and as more people use of energy efficient compact fluorescent lamps (CFL), photographic images that are on display may deteriorate more rapidly.

  

There are companies that can restore, or attempt to restore, images to their original look but it’s very expensive. Capturing a digital scan of an image before significant deterioration or damage makes a lot of sense. The size of the scan and the equivalent dpi (dots per square inch) will enable you to create a print of an image that is compatible with the original. Waiting until after there are faded colors make it much more expensive to achieve comparable results. Water damage and scratch removal will also add to the cost of restoration too.

Consider creating digital scans of your favorite 25 photographs at 600 dpi. If something happens, you can create print replications that will preserve your memories and you'll have the capacity, if you desire, to enlarge the original to a new image.

For more ideas about what you may want accessible in electronic file form, visit Our Heritage Vault. Our Do-It-Yourself (DIY) package, the EvacuPacket provides guidance, templates, and an emergency organizer for your favorite photos and important documents. Save $10 off the retail price of an EvacuPacket by using the code TB2HEG at the checkout counter.