Photo Album Styles

How to Choose the Perfect Photo Album: There's More to It Than You Think

Types of Photo Albums

There are several styles of photo albums on the market today. Some are more appropriate than others for proper photo storage, and you should make sure you're buying an album that will properly preserve your photos and keep them from becoming damaged.

Magnetic and Self-Stick Photo Albums
These types of photo albums have a sticky adhesive page, often covered with a clear plastic sheet that peels back to allow access to the photos. For many years, these were the most popular photo albums, and in fact were so readily available that almost everyone had this style. Unfortunately, they're some of the worst when it comes to proper preservation of photographs.

The problem with self-stick photo albums lies in the adhesive. The glue used on the page itself can stain photographs, and if the photos are left in for a certain amount of time they will most likely tear when you try to remove them. The adhesive can also cause the colors on the photo to fade away, or it can become less sticky over time and turn an unsightly dark yellow color which cannot be removed from the backs of the photos. Avoid self-stick albums whenever possible.

Pocket Photo Albums
Pocket photo albums have a paper insert inside of clear plastic pockets, usually three per page. They are designed to hold a certain size of photograph - typically 4 x 6 inches - and can hold photos back to back, so that a total of six fit on one page of the album.

Pocket photo albums have a few benefits as well as a few drawbacks. On the plus side, they do not require adhesive, since as long as the photo is the correct size it will fit tightly into the sleeve. However, pocket photo albums are limited in the sense that you can only store photos of a certain size; wallet photos, 5 x 7-inch photos, and any oddly-sized snapshots such as Polaroids cannot be stored. If you try to keep those in the pockets, you'll find that they will easily slide out and most likely become damaged.

If you do purchase a pocket photo album, make sure that it has the correct type of paper insert and plastic covering. The paper, which lies inside the pocket against the backs of the photos, must be acid-free, lignin-free, and should have passed the Photographic Activity Test (PAT). The plastic sleeves should be made from uncoated pure polyethylene or a similar approved material. Plastic that contains PVC will have a strong smell to it and should not be used, as PVC generates acid and will damage the photographs over time. Check the label of the photo album carefully for this type of information. If you're unsure what the album pages are made from, it's best to avoid it.

Paper Page Photo Albums
The best choice all around, paper page photo albums are designed to preserve your photos for all time without causing harm. Although they're more expensive and perhaps more of a hassle than the other types of albums, paper page albums are well worth it.

In general, a paper page photo album will have a single sheet of acid-free paper for each page. No pockets or adhesive will be present. Some albums will have a clear plastic cover sheet that can be peeled back and sealed again over the page. This is fine as long as the cover sheet does not contain adhesive which will be touching the photos.

With paper page photo albums, you'll need to use something to attach the photos to the pages. Choose paper or plastic photo corners that are also acid-free and designed for preservation. Photo corners will have a small dab of adhesive on them which is used to hold the corner to the page; then you simply tuck the photo into the corners. Make sure to place the corners correctly so that the photo fits flat against the page.

With paper page photo albums, you're free to arrange your photos in any configuration. You can also store photos of multiple sizes on one page and in one album.

You'll notice that photo albums come with multiple styles of binding. Some have spiral edges, while others are sewn together or bound with stitching much like a typical book. Some are even designed like three-ring binders. Any of these styles will work just fine. You may want to consider a photo album that you can add pages to in the future if you're unsure of how much space you'll need. Just make sure not to overstuff the album, as this can lead to bending of the pages and damage to the photographs.

A high quality photo album will cost a little extra, and it will require some extra work on your part in organizing and putting the photos away. But the benefits to your precious photos will be well worth the cost and effort.