Archive and digital scrapbooks
Archive
scrapbook
Family history scrapbooks are a good
way to preserve photographs. It
gives them support, keeps them away from dust and light, and organizes them,
but you have to be careful about the materials you use.
Everything your photos
come in contact with should be archival quality as defined by the
American National Standards Institute (ANSI) and preferably pass the Photographic Activity Test (PAT). That includes ink (printed and pen) and
the paper on which you write text inserts (journals).
Interesting scrapbooks contain
non-photo items that contain acid and/or lignin. Lignin is a binder that holds
wood-based paper together. Newspaper clippings are particularly acidic. There
is a way to treat newspaper clippings,
however. You may be better off using an archival-safe copy though. Use a deacidifying
spray made of magnesium oxide Archival Mist $40-$50 for 5.5 oz. on
other memorabilia to be safe. Dyes from colored paper and
adhesives are hazardous to your photos so avoid them. You can still make a nice album using
neutral shades and limited embellishments. Mount photos with folded corners
archival-safe white cardstock mats. Put protective sheets between pages.
Digital
scrapbooks
Looks much like a paper scrapbook except everything is made
digitally. You print completed pages and put them in book form.
Online scrapbook suppliers have
themes and embellishments that you download and print. Use these along with
your digital photos to make your pages.
Putting together a scrapbook is
a feature in some genealogy software. The top two are Family Tree Maker and Legacy. Family Tree Maker comes in 3 versions($25—$100). Each comes
with a trial subscription to Ancestry.com. Both can be purchased at Amazon.com.
1|2|3 <Back
Back to top
| Home | Overview | Preservation | Interviews | Historic Background | Photo Editing | Genealogy | Video |
| Family Website | Family Scrapbook | Write a Book | About the Coach | Site Map | Privacy Policy |
Copyright September 2009 Family History Coach All rights reserve Last update April 27, 2010
