Acid

[happycampers]

Does anyone know how you can check for acid in stickers?

I've seen stickers that come in packages that say "acid-free" on them. What about the stickers that some CMs give out at WDW? Could you use those in a scrapbook?

I check papers I'm unsure of with a ph pen, but it just seems to stay on top of a slick sticker. Is any color change reliable in those cases? Or is there another way to know?

Thanks in advance!

 

[jenr812]

I've not tried it, but how about using the pH pen on the back of the sticker? (the sticky part).

 

[MazdaUK]

I think as long as you put it onto buffered paper (like CM paper) and make sure its not touching any photos you should be OK.

 

[anne930]

Don't know the answer, but have wondered about putting our Disney souvenirs like napkins, tickets, luggage tags, etc in the album. I'm sure those are not acid-free. Is that the trick, to make sure they're not touching the pictures? I'm thinking of putting the pages in plastic protectors anyway, so will that take care of the problem?

 

[happycampers]

Don't know the answer, but have wondered about putting our Disney souvenirs like napkins, tickets, luggage tags, etc in the album. I'm sure those are not acid-free. Is that the trick, to make sure they're not touching the pictures? I'm thinking of putting the pages in plastic protectors anyway, so will that take care of the problem?

I've checked for acid with my pH pen on paper towels (one had it, two didn't) and on tickets and postcards. I just made sure it was a small mark on the back.

I tried the back and front of stickers and either they have acid or that doesn't work because the mark eventually disappeared on the ones I tried. Someone said they used drywall tape on a layout since it looks like and sticks like magic mesh. I tried the pH pen on that and it eventually disappeared as well. I'm going to err on the side of caution with those with regard to my scrapbooks for now. The thing that makes me wonder if that works is the fact that those items didn't absorb the pH pen ink because of their slick, glossy surfaces. I don't know if it just stayed on the top and evaporated or if there was actually acid that caused the loss of color.

There is an archival mist that you can use on acidic items that will neutralize it, but I've never used that.

I believe the thing with using them on the same page as photos is because acid migration can occur. Meaning that papers in contact with acidic items become acidic themselves. I don't know how long that would take, or how extreme that is or what damage it could eventually cause to photos. It was just something that was mentioned in a class I attended. The instructor encouraged the use of an archival mist.

 

[BernardandMissBianca]

Archivers Mist is really really expensive, $50-70 a can. I think as long as the sticker is not in direct contact with your photo it should be fine. Or mat it on cardstock and then put that on you base paper but still not touching your pic.

 

[happycampers]

Yikes! I had no idea that it would be THAT expensive. I'd never looked into it. Just heard about it in the classs. No wonder she encouraged its use. I'm sure she'd love to sell some.

 

[BernardandMissBianca]

I've never looked at it either. My friend was looking for it to use in her heritage album. I'm pretty sure she said $50, but she might use her 40% coupon for it when she gets around to her album. I wonder how long a can would last too.

 

[jenr812]

Just googled and found this http://www.archivalusa.com/cam1.html
A miniscule 1.5 oz bottle is $15.50. A 5.3 oz bottle is $40! Yikes!

 

[lewdyan1]

I have the minisucle bottle purchased with the 40% off coupon. I use it on newspaper articles about my kids. I never thought to use it with the stickers.

I checked Oriental Trading to see if the roll stickers are acid free, but it doesn't say.

 

[MazdaUK]

I think having read this, if the photos are really speical (eg heritage or unrepeatable) I'd keep anyhting "unknown" away CM paper is buffered - slightly alkali so even if acid migrates the paper remains neutral - so it should be OK for non-precious stuff