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All photographic prints degrade over time, but you can protect your pictures by printing them on archival paper that's designed to preserve them for as long as possible. Archival-quality mattes also help protect your photos.
Several manufacturers now produce so-called archival photo paper for use with consumer photo printers. These papers typically claim a life span of 25 years. Because the printer ink plays a big role in the life of the print, these life expectancy figures assume that you use the paper with a printer approved by the paper manufacturer.
 | For a bit longer life span, you can have your photograph printed on traditional, archival photo paper at a professional lab. Your picture then should last as long as a print from a film camera, which can be as much as 60 years. You can also consider an archival printer that uses special inks, which researchers predict could provide a life expectancy of 200-plus years. The downside is that the archival inks typically have a smaller color range than standard inkjets, so prints may appear a little duller. |
Keep in mind, though, that all these life-span ratings are simply estimates. How long a photo actually lasts before you notice degradation of the image can vary wildly depending on the environmental conditions to which you expose the print. The good news is that because you have your original image file archived in a safe spot, you can make a new print if the current one starts to show signs of age.
For framed photos, always place a matte between the picture and glass. Otherwise, if you later try to remove the picture from the frame, you may find that the picture is stuck to the glass.
Be sure that you use archival, acid-free matte board. Non-archival matte materials release chemicals that can discolor a photograph.
 | Never glue a photograph to a mounting board, because the glue can seep through the print. Instead, use archival tape to attach the edges of the print to the matte. You can buy this type of tape in most craft and art supply stores. |
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