There is so much talk of acid-free, virtually acid-free, lignin, just how do we wade through these often confusing terms that we find labeled on the products we buy? How do we know what is safe to use in our albums? What happens if we don't use safe materials in our albums? What can the damages be? In this article we will learn the definitions of commonly-used safety terms and take a look at actual damages to an album that was completed with "unsafe" materials.

I contacted the Scrapbook Preservation Society to see what those in the know had to say about these issues. I hope that by familiarizing yourself with what these safety terms really mean, it will help you as you make the decisions on what to include in your albums. Afterall, before we begin to embellish our layouts, we want to be sure that we are not contributing to their demise. A beautiful album that disintegrates within a few years will be a big disappointment to you plus a huge loss of time and materials. This article will show some examples from my personal albums as to what happens if you use unsafe preservation methods, and offer tips on improving the likelihood that your scrapbooks will outlive you!

Acquaint yourself with these terms, then see the article "The Consequences of Using Unsafe Preservation Methods" for examples of what happened to me and tips on how to NOT let it happen to you.

acid - A chemical substance that has a pH of less than 7.0. Acids can react with photographs, paper memorabilia, metals, and scrapbook products shortening their life span, causing corrosion, discoloration, brittleness or a variety of other problems.

acid-free - a material tested to have a pH of 7 or above indicating that the material contains no mobile or available acid ions for chemical reactions. Scrapbook implications: This does not imply the material is long lasting or scrapbook safe.

alkali, alkaline, or base - A chemical substance that has a pH greater than 7.0. It can be added to materials containing acid to neutralize the acid or act as a reserve for the purpose of counteracting acids that it may come contact with in the future. Scrapbook implications: An alkaline paper is preferable to a acidic paper, but there are other paper qualities that must be also taken into consideration. (i.e. lignin content)

archival - the dictionary defines the term "archival" to mean that a material or article is kept in or for use in a special area for long term retention (as in an archive). Today the definition has become blurred, especially in the arts and crafts areas. Many companies place "archival" on products to imply permanence, durability, or chemical stability, meaning it could safely be used for preservation purposes. Scrapbook implications: Currently, the various organizations that produce, sell, or use archival materials have not agreed to one standard definition or a quantifiable method for verifying a material's archival properties.

bleed-proof / resistant - An adhesive or colorant that will not go through to the reversed surface of the material to which it is applied (such as a sheet of paper). Similarly, this term has also been used to describe specially treated or coated papers that prevent liquids from soaking in or going through to the opposite side. Note too that, historically, the ink industry (not just for scrapbooking) has used a slightly different meaning - Ink was considered to "bleed" when the colorant went through the paper being written on and onto a second sheet of paper beneath. However, consumer use of the term has broadened the meaning of bleed to include movement of ink across the surface of the sheet, through to the back of the sheet or even onto an adjacent sheet or material such as a photo.

buffered - The addition of an alkaline reserve to a material to control the pH over an extended time. The term is commonly used in the paper industry to identify that alkaline filler has been added during the papermaking process to offset any acid that is present or that it may come in contact with later. Common buffers for paper are magnesium carbonate and calcium carbonate. In addition to papers, buffering is sometimes used in adhesives and other materials where the manufacturer wants to control the pH.

fade proof / resistant - A color that does not fade over time when stored in the dark.

inert - A material that is stable and does not react with itself, the environment, or any other materials surrounding it. When the term inert is used, always look for further information such as: inert to what materials, under what conditions, and for how much time, etc.

lightfast - A colored material that resists fading induced by natural and artificial lighting.

light stability - A material's ability to resist degradation when exposed to light. Materials that are not light stable can become brittle, discolored, and react adversely with neighboring materials (the items can adhere to each other, become sticky, stretchy or pliable, bleed through or stain the other item).

lignin - The binding material in plants that gives them their strength and rigidity. Paper that contains lignin, such as newsprint, will turn yellow quickly when exposed to light, heat, and humidity. Lignin will degrade paper (causing discoloration and brittleness) and photographs (causing staining, fading mirroring and spotting).

lignin-free - To be considered lignin-free, paper can contain a maximum of 1% lignin.

neutralize - This is the process of making a solution or material pH neutral (pH of 7.0). If a material is acidic, it can be neutralized by adding an alkali or base material. If it is alkaline or base, it is neutralized by adding an acid. Pure water has a pH of 7.0, which is considered neutral.

PAT - The abbreviation for the Photographic Activity Test. The PAT is currently the only test that can predict harmful chemical reactions between scrapbook products and photographs. This is an ISO standard method.

pH - A measurement that indicates the degree of acidity or alkalinity of a material. On a scale from 0-14, pH 7.0 is neutral, above 7.0 is alkaline (acid-free or base), and below 7.0 is acidic. The scale is a logarithmic progression, meaning 6.0 is 10 times more acidic than 7.0. pH can only be measured on water-soluble materials.

pH neutral - The center reading of 7.0 on the pH scale of 0-14. It is neither acidic nor alkaline. Pure water has a pH of 7 and is considered pH neutral.

plasticizer - A material used in the production of plastics to make them more flexible and less brittle. They are considered unsuitable for being in contact or even close proximity to photographs and many other materials used in scrapbooking.

polypropylene - A clear, flexible, chemically-stable plastic used in the manufacturing of preservation products including scrapbook page protectors.

polyvinyl chloride (PVC) - A plastic, generally referred to as "vinyl", that may exude plasticizers or emit corrosive and acidic hydrogen-chloride gas. PVC is often identifiable by its strong plastic odor. Page protectors, binders, photo enclosures, corners or any other products made from vinyl should never be used with photographs or in scrapbooks Vinyl and vinyl products are sold by a number of trade names.

RH - An abbreviation for relative humidity, a measure of moisture content in the air. Reducing air moisture content can significantly extend the life of photographs and most scrapbook materials. Some of the negative effects of high humidity include the bleeding of inks, the softening of materials, the bonding of adjacent materials, the reversal of adhesive bonds, and breakdown of paper fiber. High humidity also fosters the formation and migration of acids and bases as well as mold growth. However, extremely low humidity can cause irreversible physical deformation of photographs and some papers because they become too dry.

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