TIP #5: “Archival” is not a regulated certification and often misused for marketing purposes.

Last week we talked about how most non-archival quality papers are acidic and how to prevent that damage, but how can you tell whether a piece of paper is truly archival quality or not?

To understand what makes a paper archival quality, we have to first understand what causes acidification.

To start, rip a scrap piece of paper (preferably one that’s not part of your collection). No really! Once you do, you should see tons of little fibers poking out from the frayed edge. These fibers can be anything from cotton to jute, but they all have something in common: they’re made up of cellulose. What holds these fibers together is lignin (along with some other stuff).

When lignin breaks down, it turns acidic. The acid in turn causes the cellulose to become yellow and brittle (as seen in the second image above). Even if there is no acid in the paper when you buy it, as long as there is lignin, it will become acidic over time.

So to answer our earlier question, it’s not enough for a paper to be labeled “archival.” To actually meet true archival standards, the paper should be “acid-free” or “lignin-free.”

#TheMoreYouKnow

Want to learn more about what to look for when buying other materials? Check out our webinar on demystifying archival supplies!