Contain the Negatives

Negatives are probably more important than your prints. By organizing and protecting negatives, you'll preserve your ability to order more high-quality prints.

The system you choose for organizing negatives will depend on your unique needs. Whether you're looking for simple, maximum protection, or fun and easy, we've got an option that'll work.

Option 1 - Keep It Simple

For a simple, but effective system, place the negatives in acid-free storage envelopes. You can get these from archival suppliers.

Label the envelopes with the same information that's on your photo box index card, and file them behind the card. Put the labeled photos behind the negatives.

Option 2 – Provide Maximum Protection

One of the best ways to store negatives is in archival-quality polyethylene, polypropylene or Mylar negative sleeves. You can get these from archival or photography supply stores. Storing negatives this way ensures you'll be able to get new prints even decades later.

To store negatives in sleeves, remove the negatives from the processing envelope. Keeping the negatives in order by number and in complete strips, slide them into the sleeves.

Label the edge of the negative sleeve with the year, month, and topic, and then place the sleeves in a 3-ring binder. You can even create tabs for the various months and years to make negatives easier to find.

When the binder is full, label the edge with the dates covered and store the binders with your photo boxes.

Option 3 – Make Indexing Easy

This option will make indexing easy, but you'll be able to use it only on rolls you develop in the future.

All you have to do is request an index print when you get your film developed. An index print is a photo-size print that displays a thumbnail of each photo developed.

Purchase archival-quality sleeves that fit 4x6 prints. Slip the photo index into a sleeve and put the negatives behind it. Label the edge of the sleeve with date/topic and keep in a 3-ring binder.


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