"We have some newspaper articles that we would like to include in our scrapbooks. What is the best way to go about preserving them?" From Myrleen

Preserving Newspaper

I get asked frequently about how to include newspaper articles in scrapbooks. Due to the high amounts of both lignin and acid in newsprint the paper deteriorates very quickly becoming brittle and turning yellow. The main cause for concern in scrapbooking is not only the breakdown of the newspaper article but how the acid in the article will affect the rest of the page and even the album.

You have three main choices when it comes to treating newspaper articles:

A) Copy them on to acid free paper. You can have this done at your local copy center or you can simply scan them in to your computer and print them out on cardstock. Personally, I prefer to have articles color copied because you achieve a nearly perfect replica of the article keeping the shades of the original paper.

B) Laminate the article. Laminating does not solve all of the problems with newsprint unfortunately. Lamination will simply trap the chemicals inside with the paper. It will still turn yellow and even the lamination film over time (decades) we start to deteriorate. It will, however, make the paper hold together and keep it from turning brittle. It will also prevent the acid from migrating to other parts of your page. Be sure to use lamination film that is safe for scrapbooking.

C) Treat the paper with a deacidification spray or solution. Several sprays such as Archival Mist by EK Success are available to treat papers such as greeting cards, old letters, documents, and newspaper clippings that contain acid. The paper is still fragile and will need to be protected in your album after being treated with the spray. You may wish to contain the article in a memorabilia pocket or sleeve. Recipes for homemade solutions can be found on the internet for preserving newsprint. The mess and trouble makes choosing option A a much better choice.

So as you can probably tell, my personal favorite solution to this dilemma is to simply copy the articles or scan and print them. You get all the benefits of preserving the news story without having to worry about any of the pitfalls of include the actual newsprint paper in your albums.

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