THE FOLDER
Use paper, not too full
A plain folder holds drawings flat and unclipped. Archivists stop filling one at about 19 mm thick.
Sort a folderStart
WHAT ARCHIVISTS DO
Keep the drawings.
Lose the damage.
Drawings are more often spoiled by damp, the wrong plastic and an overstuffed folder than by age alone.
A fridge door full of crayon soon becomes a drawer of curled, clipped and sticky paper. Libraries and archives keep paper safe with a few simple rules: the right folder, the right plastic, the right room, and a copy somewhere else. Here they are, in plain English.
Plain English, with the sources linked.
FLATand dry
Check your sleevesKeep in mind
- Paper folders
- Safe plastics
- Cool, dry room
- Scan the favourites
THE SHORT ANSWER
Flat, dry, and copied.
Three habits from library and archive care
do most of the work.
THE PLASTIC
Pick the plastic with care
Polyester is stable but static can lift pastel and charcoal; PVC gives off acid as it ages.
Check your sleeves
THE BACK-UP
Scan the ones you love
A 300 dpi scan, kept in two places, survives the leak or the clear-out that paper cannot.
See the numbersA QUICK SLEEVE CHECK
Paper folder
or plastic sleeve?
Pick what the drawing is made with, or what it is sitting in now. The verdicts come from the Library of Congress, the US National Archives and the Conservation Center for Art and Historic Artifacts.
Paper folders suit almost everything. Clear sleeves are handy for flat, firm media you want to see without handling.
TWO NUMBERS WORTH KNOWING
Below the damp line,
and in two places.
One number protects the paper.
The other protects the picture if the paper goes.
65% and under 24°C
Keep relative humidity below
Mould spores stay dormant without moisture. The National Archives gives 65% relative humidity and 24°C as limits that reduce the chance of growth, and aims for 45% to 55% at 18°C to 20°C.
THE DAMP LINE · US NATIONAL ARCHIVES
300 dpi × 2 copies
Scan, then keep at least
Its personal archiving guide suggests 300 dpi for everyday documents and photos, at least two copies stored as far apart as practical, and moving the files to current storage about every five to seven years.
THE BACK-UP · LIBRARY OF CONGRESS
Neither needs special kit. A cupboard in a heated room, and a second copy of the scans in another place, cover most homes.
SORT A FOLDER THIS WEEKEND
Four steps
for a safer stack.
Step 1
Take out the clips and tape
Leave paper clips, rubber bands and sticky tape off the drawings. Archives keep fasteners off original art.
Step 2
Label in pencil, on the back
Write the name and date lightly in pencil, not ink, with the drawing on a clean, hard surface.
Step 3
Split fat folders, store them flat
Start a new folder once a stack reaches about 19 mm. Keep folders flat in a box in a cupboard, not in the loft or cellar.
Step 4
Scan the favourites twice
Scan the ones you would grab first at 300 dpi, then keep two copies in different places.
STORAGE FACTS
Five things archivists
already know.
Static can lift a drawing
The Library of Congress warns that polyester film readily builds an electrostatic charge that can lift powdery media such as pastel, charcoal, pencil and flaking paint.
PVC turns acidic
The Conservation Center for Art and Historic Artifacts advises avoiding PVC because it deteriorates and gives off hydrochloric acid. It calls polyethylene chemically inert and very stable.
A folder has a limit
The US National Archives keeps the stack in a folder no thicker than its broadest scored width, typically ¾ inch (about 19 mm), and says never to use fasteners on original artwork.
Paper likes a steady room
The Northeast Document Conservation Center gives 30% to 60% relative humidity for paper, at about 18°C to 22°C in a room people also use, and cooler for paper that is rarely looked at.
Lofts and cellars are the risk
The Library of Congress recommends a cool, relatively dry (about 35% relative humidity), clean and stable place, and avoiding attics and basements with their leaks and extremes.
QUICK QUESTIONS
Storing drawings, answered.
Short answers to the questions people ask most.
Are plastic sleeves safe for drawings?
It depends on the drawing and the plastic. Polyester sleeves are clear and stable, but the Library of Congress warns they build up static that can lift pastel, charcoal and pencil. Keep powdery drawings in paper folders.
Why should I avoid PVC wallets?
The Conservation Center for Art and Historic Artifacts advises avoiding PVC (polyvinyl chloride) because it deteriorates and gives off hydrochloric acid. It describes polyethylene as chemically inert and very stable.
Where in the house should I keep a folder of drawings?
Somewhere cool, fairly dry, clean and stable, such as a cupboard in a lived-in room. The Library of Congress advises avoiding attics and basements, where leaks and extremes are more likely.
How damp is too damp?
The US National Archives says mould is less likely if relative humidity stays below 65% and temperature stays below 24°C, and targets 45% to 55% humidity at 18°C to 20°C.
What resolution should I scan drawings at?
The Library of Congress suggests 300 dpi for everyday documents and photos, and 400 or 600 dpi if you want to print them larger. Keep at least two copies of the scans in different places.
Destination
Where the facts come from
- Care, handling and storage of works on paperLibrary of Congress
- Holdings maintenance: paper recordsUS National Archives
- Mould prevention: temperature and humidity limitsUS National Archives
- Temperature, relative humidity, light and air qualityNortheast Document Conservation Center
- Personal archiving: scanning your collections (PDF)Library of Congress
- Selecting materials for storage and display (PDF)Conservation Center for Art and Historic Artifacts
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