post-darkroom storing film?

[jano]

Hi,

based upon various things I read on the internet, I purchased today some printfile archival sleeves (7 slots of 5) to hold my film once processed and developed. The first thing I did was take some old negs and tried to shove them into the archival sleeves. This proved to be rather difficult.. they don't seem to slide in easy at all. I'm afraid of crinkling the film.

Which begs the question: do I risk scratching the film strips by taking them in and out of the sleeves a few times?

Thanks,
Jano

 

[kaiyen]

The Print File sleeves are probably the most convenient storage option for negatives, but using glassine envelopes is the safest, in terms of preventing scratches. Many people have moved in that direction, in fact. I still use the PF sleeves, however. I have not had any major issues, taking care to not get dirt into the sleeves and other very logical precautions.

allan

 

[rover]

It sounds like you are having the same issues I had with the print file sleeves.

I learned that you have to slide the negatives into the sleeves from the binder end. There is a crimp at the other end to keep the negs from sliding out, which makes it hard to load too.

 

[jano]

Rover, thanks for the input, I'll try sticking in from the binder end (load comes in from the bottom side). My sleeves don't have crimps at the ends. I think I may have accidentally picked up the cheap sleeves instead of the nicer ones people seem to talk about ($23 for pack of 100.. it's all the store had). This'll do for now.

jano

 

[djon]

Negafile's terrible, always has been. I'd bought a bunch when I couldn't find glassines, threw them out. Not only is the plastic inferior (strongly doubt the alleged archival potential), they require too much handling when sliding negs in and out...negs can get scratched in the struggle .

SIDE loading makes more sense (less risk to film, easier): I've put everything that wasn't already safely in glassine sleeves (from decades ago) into FoldLock sleeves (not pages)...these are slightly stiff, they open sideways, and they're archival polyester, not that soft stuff. These are in turn stored in archival paper folders with scribbled notes (instead of sleeves) which in turn are stored in half-shoebox-size archival cardboard boxes...I bought all this stuff as "35mm negagard tan box kit # 20215" from Light Impressions...I initially bought two kits at $29.95 ea...each kit holds 100 sleeves (6 frames) so the two kits will take care of maybe 200 rolls (actually I usually cut at 4 frames, which is less efficient).

I need to order some of their sleeves for 120 and 4X5, to consolidate everything from years past into these boxes. Another project, perhaps with Light Impressions solution, is to file hundreds of turn-of-century family photos and a collection of Russia/Harbin photos that I purchased from gypsies at a county fair...
This stuff's taking up too much room and although it's safe now, it's not as easily accessed and viewed as I'd like.

www.lightimpressionsdirect.com

This system has been a tremendous help organizing and identifying negs in a maximum compact fashion. The two half-shoeboxes that fit nicely into file drawers have replaced several sloppy boxes and binders that were never stored well.