Tip of the Month

Adhesives, Rubber & Plastics

polyvinyl chloride: PVC- a water-insoluble, thermoplastic resin, derived by the polymerization of vinyl chloride. Eeewwww!

lig-nin: Botany. an organic substance that, with cellulose, forms the chief part of woody tissue. Papermaking. impure matter found in wood pulp.

Sticky-back photo albums were "all the rage" back in the day, but they are bad news and here's why. Most adhesives, including the rubber cement often used in so-called "magnetic" photo albums, contain harmful chemicals such as PVC that will eventually destroy your photographs. Look for albums that are acid- and lignin-free.

The correct plastic used for the pages should be polyester, polypropylene or polyethylene. Besides being good for photos, these materials won’t transfer the wording off of your photocopies onto the plastic. Bad materials to be avoided are vinyl, polyvinylchloride (PVC) or anything that smells weird or strong. The offgassing vapors will ruin the colors of new photos and accelerate the aging of old ones.