What is Archival Paper?

A paper file is a file that uses paper as a carrier, such as documents and official documents, letters, telegrams, household register, account books, contracts, certificates, manuscripts, diaries, notes, genealogy and manuscripts.

Paper file

A file that uses paper as a carrier, such as official documents, letters,

Due to historical reasons, the main archives and documents are currently stored using paper materials as carriers. In particular, some high-confidence agency documents are mostly archived with paper documents. This has been proposed for the preservation of paper documents. Higher requirements. Attention to the preservation and restoration of paper documents is an important issue that archives staff must pay attention to and take seriously.

China's papermaking technology has a long history, and it has also left a wealth of experience in paper preservation. Various technologies have been passed down in anti-aging, moisture, insect and moth-proofing. In ancient times, in order to keep paper for a long time, natural materials containing high alkalinity such as lime and asbestos were used during papermaking. In future storage, the air is more acidic, which makes the paper less susceptible to aging and damage for a long time. save. For the particularly precious paper relics, calligraphy and paintings, the ancients used yellow ochre dyed paper, paint containing lead dan to prevent insects, and wooden boxes made of Chinese fir and paulownia were used to prevent moisture and oxidation, so many papers can be spread for thousands of years and will not fade. Modern people often do not consider how to save paper documents when they save archives, so that they often cause many irreparable losses. Therefore, the preservation of paper archives must attract the attention of archivists and document managers. In most parts of the south, the continental monsoon and ocean monsoon climates have a significant impact on the climate. The climate is humid and the air has a high acidity. The preservation of paper archives is even more important.

As a paper archive, the first thing to consider is the aging of paper materials. To effectively protect paper archives, we must first understand the causes of paper aging, and then we can protect targeted archives. ^[1]

During the preservation and utilization of archives, due to the combined effects and effects of internal and external causes, over time, it will cause various damages such as dirt, cracks, paper decay and handwriting fading. So there is the problem of repairing archives.

There are many ways to repair files. There are generally two aspects. One is to repair the file carrier. Such as adding film, repairing, decontamination, plasticizing, etc. The second is to restore the information recorded by the carrier. For example, photographic methods showing faded handwriting, and repair methods for audio and video files. For various repair methods, archivists should pay special attention to the optimal selection. Otherwise, it may be contrary to expectations. After the "repair", not only did the original file not be restored, but the file was destroyed instead. ^[2]