How Do You Store Large Prints

Ron Ludekens

It is time to organize my office. I am getting tired of the clutter of stacked Bay Photo shipping boxes storing my competition or "for sale" prints. How do you store your large (or small) prints? So far no prints are larger than 16 x 24 but I suspect I'll eventually have 24 x 36 too.

Also will eventually have an Epson 3880/4900 printer (or latest rendition) and thus a future array of art paper to store flat.
What is working for you?

ziggy53

Ron Ludekens wrote: »

It is time to organize my office. I am getting tired of the clutter of stacked Bay Photo shipping boxes storing my competition or "for sale" prints. How do you store your large (or small) prints? So far no prints are larger than 16 x 24 but I suspect I'll eventually have 24 x 36 too.
...

I store large finished prints (to 30" x 20") rolled up loosely and on end. Then I wrap a large sheet of heavy white paper around that and secure it all with white twine. Then I add a clean plastic XMart shopping bag on the top, open end, to keep dust out.

I don't do my own printing anymore but when I did my own B&W darkroom printing I used a "Brumberger paper safe" for sizes to 8" x 10" and then just kept some of the largest boxes that the paper came in to store the rest flat on, or under, a counter. A local offset print company might have some suitable boxes to spare, or Uline "Jumbo Kraft Easy-Fold Mailers" in the appropriate size might help too.

Paper safes are still available new, mostly in the "Premiere" brand. Since they are designed for photo-sensitive materials, they are rather pricey for other paper types.

I have some large plastic containers, designed for under-bed storage, which might do for short-term storage (especially for unprinted paper), but I would be concerned about using plastic containers for long-term storage of finished photographic prints of any kind.

To avoid paper curl in flat stacks you might consider getting some large, clean, acid-neutral cardboard to place on the top of each stack. Then just stack largest size on bottom, to smallest size on top.