How to Preserve Newspapers
Newspapers report on breaking stories everyday, but most of them get thrown out the next day. In the event of a newspaper reporting on something truly historic or if the papers print something significant to you or your family, of course you would want to keep that copy as keepsake. How do you keep it from disintegrating or fading? Here’s how.
Storing the Original
Preserving newspapers means finding the best way to store the original copies of either the newspapers or their clippings. Here’s how you can do it.
Tools
Polyester film folder with alkaline-backed buffer
Acid-free boxing
Procedure
Find a place where you can store your preserved newspapers. The ideal location should be somewhere dark, away from sunlight, humidity and extreme temperatures. In fact, the best place to keep preserved newspapers is in a temperature-controlled closet.
Keep the newspaper in its original form, with no folds or bending.
Put each individual newspaper in a polyester film folder with an alkaline-backed buffer. This will slow down the newspaper’s degradation. You may find these folders in specialty comic book stores. Have them clearly labeled and organized.
Keep the newspapers in an acid-free box, the type used to store film and picture prints.
Do not use staplers, paperclips or anything similar on the newspaper.
De-acidifying
Today’s newspapers have so much acidic content in its pulp that you have to de-acidify them if you seriously intend to keep them around for long. De-acidifying papers can be quite a costly procedure, and you’ll have to have a conservator do it for you. It can cost up to $50 and even if you do it yourself, the special spray costs $10 per page.
Microfilm
Scanning on microfilm is a great way to preserve newspapers without having the bulk, but you can store the originals in some cases. Have them fitted in customized, non-acidic boxes. Make sure that they are properly labeled and organized.
Framing
Make sure that if you do want to frame a newspaper for posterity, the frame itself must be made to preserve the paper. First, it should have an non-acidic backing board and matte. The framing glass should UV ray protection, as light can activate the acid in the paper. Keep the framed newspaper away from direct sunlight. If you enjoy learning this article, you’ll surely enjoy reading how to make picture frames using glass bottles.