Once you spend your precious time and energy creating a
scrapbook, make sure it lasts! There are a few simple
things you can easily do to ensure that your scrapbooks look
just as good as the day you finished them, for years to
come.
The first thing to avoid is paper that is not lignin-free.
You've probably heard that before, and it is true, but what
is lignin anyways? Lignin is a stiff component of a plant
that quite literally holds it together. Although lignin is
necessary for plants and trees, you want nothing to do with
it! After a while, lignin will cause photos, fabrics and
other paper that touch it to turn brown. Yes, lignin-free
paper does cost more, but it is a vital part of preserving
your cherished scrapbooks.
If the paper is not lignin-free, it will eventually discolor
your photos and other materials touching it. So when buying
paper for your scrapbooking projects, be sure to look for
packages that say "lignin-free," because if it doesn't say
it, then it most likely isn't.
Fabric is a big concern for preserving your scrapbooks, but
unfortunately it is often overlooked. Many people assume
that all fabrics are acid-free, but they aren't. Silk
actually goes through an acid bath during the manufacturing
process, as well as many tie-dyed fabrics. This isn't to
discourage you from using it, not all. Just try to make
sure that no photos directly touch fabric, and if you need
them to overlap, make sure there is a layer of paper between
the two.
Another consideration when using fabrics is if the color
will bleed off onto your page and other things touching it.
To test for this, cut a square inch off and soak it in a
glass of water over night. If there is no color bleeding
from it the next day, then there isn't any risk to your
scrapbook. But if you do see color in the water, or
collecting at the bottom of the glass then don't use that
fabric in your scrapbook at all.
When using glitter, be sure there is a top layer of spray
adhesive to lock them down, or better yet use special
glitter glue where the glitter is mixed right in. If this is
not done right the glitter will slowly fall off, and loose
glitter means scratched photos.
After you have planned the layout for your photos, be sure
that you are using the right kind of mounting tape for them!
Regular mounting tape is fine for buttons and bottle caps,
but when it come to mounting photos you need to use special
photo mounting tape which is completely acid-free. If you
don't, your photos will slowly discolor. The tape should
say "acid-free" right on the packaging.
These are just a few simple things you can do to ensure that
your scrapbooks last and last.
About the Author
Palyn Peterson publishes "Scrapbooking News"
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