What is archive paper?
Many important documents need to be maintained for a longer period of time. Conventional paper products are slowly degraded due to the high level of acid, which usually exists in paper. Archive paper is made slightly alkaline or with a neutral pH so that it does not get rid of with age and does not change fragile. Most paper companies offer archive papers in their line for archivists, governments, libraries and artists. However, it is important to realize that archive paper is only useful under the right conditions.
The degradation of conventional paper is contributed by two primary factors. The first is lignin, part of the cell walls in plants. Lignin will be yellow when it is exposed to heat, causing yellowed paper. Acid makes paper fragile, thin and brittle. Newspapers perhaps provide the best example of opposites of archive paper because they are made as cheaply as possible because most people recycle them after one reading. Newspapers quickly on yellow and Brittle, undesirable feature in important documents.
Archive paper deals with the need for a goodpermanent documents. Historically, important documents were printed on Velum, a material made of veal leather. With a wider acceptance of paper, people began to notice that their paper documents were not as resistant as the documents printed on Velum. The discoveries of acid and lignin have led to the development of archival paper.
The process of making archive paper is more complex, leading to a more expensive final product. The paper is thoroughly treated to remove the lignin, and then the pH is neutral or preferably alkaline, with the addition of soda ash or calcium carbonate. Alkaline paper will better withstand acidic environment than neutral paper. The resulting product holds ink and colors well and lasts much longer than conventional paper.
Archive paper, however, prefers alkalines. Many companies sell archive tissue sheets that can be laid between the sheets of archive paper, and alkaline storage boxes for the archiveThe paper. The paper should be stored in a cool, dry and dark place to extend their life even more. Most documents have introduced measures to control moisture to ensure that their paper will be maintained in the best conditions.
In addition to important documents, artists are also used by archival paper to maintain their work. Scrapbookers can also use it in archive scrapbooks and the important edition of books is printed on archive paper to endure. Most paper supply stores offer a selection of archive papers that are sometimes referred to as "without lignin" or "neutral pH".