10 Steps to Organize Family Photos with Archival Boxes

Archive boxes are the best solution for organizing various items at the workplace and home. Corrugated stock is generally used to manufacture them. However, some businesses use Kraft and cardboard stocks for this purpose. They mostly come in two shapes. One has a lengthy height and depth but small width or base. The other shape has proportionate length, width, and height. You will find many of them having dedicated handles on two sides. Some have a foldable lid, while others come with a removable lid. They can be printed with custom designs, but brands mostly leave them without graphical customizations.

Organizing your family photos is among the most important things you need to do. It is not beneficial to delay this process as you will end up with a large stock. If you already have many unsorted pictures, it is the right time to store them in archive boxes. These are some steps that will help you organize them properly.  

Choose the right number of packages

Choosing the right number of boxes is a significant decision that requires your attention. It depends upon the number of pictures you have. Some people try to package a large volume of these items. Doing this can damage them when packaged for a long time. So, you can buy more boxes to avoid such results. There must be some spaces between sections to keep them protected from the damaging surface of each other. 

Selection of appropriate packaging size

The selection of appropriate sizes for custom archive boxes is the second step in this process. It is linked with the dimensions of photos. You need at least one or two inches more space than their dimensions. You can focus on the number of items you want to pack in a single package. If you want to place some add-ons to make sections, you need more space.  

Get required dividers or holders

Adding dividers or holders inside this packaging is a good idea. It will allow you to make different sections in it. Doing this will help you in the step of sorting them. You can get cardboard dividers to make various sections. Using holders for special photographs is beneficial as it will help you identify them quickly later on. You can also add a tray to keep different items separate in some cases. 

Lamination is essential

It is essential to get the archival packages with vinyl lamination. Most of them don’t come with this finishing option. So, you have to find the ones that have it. It is beneficial to provide moisture resistance. You are probably going to store them for a long time right? Moisture or humidity can damage the cardboard variations after some time. Lamination can protect them in this matter.  

Analyze your collection

Analyzing your collection is a significant thing to do in this step. It is all about seeing all of your photographs. Wondering why it is essential? It will help you in making decisions in the next two steps. It will also strengthen your link with them by helping you recall old memories. After this stage, you will be able to have some idea about your collection. 

Scrutinize damaged pictures

Scrutinizing the pictures is what you will do first after analyzing. You will find some images are not suitable to be placed with others. Eliminating duplicate ones is also essential. Some of them will be damaged and don’t look good. You will eliminate all unwanted pictures at this stage. You can either reprint the damaged ones or throw them away if you don’t need them anymore.  

Sort photos

Sorting the photographs is what you are required to do in this step. You can do this in different ways. The rule of thumb is to sort according to date. But you can do this as per your requirements. It can be done as per events or according to the family tree. You can also do sort some special moments in one section regardless of their time, category, or event.  

Label the sections

Labeling the sections in archival boxes is useful that will help you in the future. For this purpose, you can paste tags on every compartment. You can also write down the labels on the top of the dividers. Using years as benchmarks is beneficial in this matter. It is also beneficial to label them according to the sorting technique you used.  

 A note for special sections

Writing or printing special notes for each section in these packages is beneficial. It will help you remember your feelings about specific sections of pictures. These notes will also communicate your feelings to your children when they will explore these packages. You can point out a specific image in these notes.  

Stack them at a safe place

Stacking these packages in a safe place is the final step in the process. Now you have completed analyzing, scrutinizing, sorting, and labeling, prepare a special corner in your home to keep them. Remember that you are doing it for a long time. The place should not have any dampness. You can place plastic sheets between them to keep them safe from environmental hazards.  

Organizing the family photos in archive boxes is essential to keep them safe. It requires some effort to do it perfectly. Doing it perfectly helps improve chances of quickly searching for the desired photographs in the future. Following each step with the focus can help in saving your memories for a long time.  

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *