Archive

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Archiving is the process of permanently preserving images or data.

All archiving has two aspects — cataloguing and preservation

The following preservation strategies are in use:

• Archiving negatives and transparencies is done by preserving them in a temperature and humidity controlled environment. Negatives preserved in this way can remain in good condition for more than 100 years.
• Images can be archived by printing onto archival paper with archival quality inks and preserved in a temperature and humidity controlled environment, as with negatives. Archival papers with a life of more than 100 years are commonly available.
• Computer files can be kept on non-volatile media, such as CD-ROM and DVD-ROM. However, non-volatile media may have a realistic life of 20 years. DVD+R has much better archival characteristics than DVD-R or CD-ROM. CD-RW and DVD-RW are not suitable for archiving. Taiyo Yuden are considered to be the best manufacturer for archival media.
  • Optical media should be kept out of direct sunlight, cool, and in acid free containers
  • Always use printable media, which can then be labelled directly with a pen (not a ball-point)
• Backup tapes for computer files are designed for long-term storage, and considered by many to be the only worthwhile computer archival solution
• Computer files can be kept on an active array, such as a file-storage system, which is protected with its own backup regime