Scrapbookers Beware

To discover how effective the PaperSaver formula is on acid paper, we did a series of experiments using methods that the Library of Congress pioneered to protect their archives and standards long used in the paper industry.

This involved taking papers that were first tested for their acidity and then treating some with the PaperSaver formula, leaving some untreated for comparison. Then, their fold strength—a measure of paper performance—was used to see how effective the PaperSaver treatment was. Fold strength is how many times a paper can be bent back and forth without breaking. A variety of papers were used in these tests to evaluate the treatments, including different acid paper samples from two commercial sources and one from a local newspaper. To simulate the effects of aging on the paper, paper samples were exposed in ovens at temperatures that would boil water. Throughout the weeks of testing, individual samples were taken out and tested to see how their fold strength decreased as time went by. Some of this testing showed us that PaperSaver could be effective when applied to only one side of acidcontaining paper sheets. Since that could result in a major savings in time and materials, we also included paper samples treated with PaperSaver – but only on one side - in this study.

MIT Fold Testing Equipment used to test PaperSaver's effectiveness.

What kinds of paper did we use?

The three paper samples in the study were:

• 25% cotton, 20-lb "fine business paper" produced by Southworth.

• 90 GSM, 24-lb basis, white woven paper produced by Crane's Crest.

• Printed paper from the San Francisco Chronicle dated June 19, 2004.

How we tested

After treatment, paper samples were cut into individual matched strips and placed in a temperature and humidity controlled room at the University of California, Berkeley, in the Forest Products Laboratory for 30 days.

This allowed us to test under uniform conditions and chemistry for the deacidifying agents that we used. The next accelerated aging was conducted using dry heat (100° C and < 5% RH). After the 30-day conditioning treatment, the individual sample paper types were oven aged using either of two standard methods. The accelerated aging samples were removed weekly, reconditioned to standard conditions, and subjected double fold strength testing. We kept aging samples until samples were reduced to a "zero or near zero" fold strength. In other words, until the samples wouldn't fold without breaking the paper. In all cases, the first samples reaching this performance level were the untreated controls.

At the end of the test period the strength and performance values for the aged samples were compared with the same values for matched—but untreated—papers.

Results

To interpret results, we used Library of Congress [LOC] criteria to judge PaperSaver's effectiveness. PaperSaver formulations showed adequate enhancement for all papers treated and showed considerably better fold-strength when compared with untreated, aged paper. Over the course of the artificial aging period, Provenance showed considerably less aging as compared with the untreated samples. A most noticeable difference was in yellowing which developed and was consistently observed in untreated samples but which was very reduced in the Provenance-treated samples.

Should we spray one side or both?

We also wanted to find whether there was a difference in effectiveness if we treated one side of the papers with PaperSaver, or both sides. So we treated samples on either one or both sides, then subjected them to accelerated aging treatments and evaluated.

We discovered that single-sided applications had no significant difference compared to double-sided applications. These results show that it is unnecessary to spray both sides of paper to get an equivalent life extension factor AND savings in treating materials in normal weight papers. (Because heavy papers like matte boards are much thicker than normal weight papers, these should be treated on both sides)

While papers treated on both sides will show similar increases in pH on both sides, papers treated on a single side will show this pH increase only on the treated side. However, this does not mean that the paper has not been deacidified.

What's it mean?

The data we developed show that PaperSaver formulations provide a marked increase in the fold strength and lifetime of acid. Comparisons with other available deacidification treatments show that the PaperSaver formulations are as good or better than those treatments. Importantly for crafters and scrapbookers, the tests also demonstrate that single sided treatments with the PaperSaver formulations are equally effective to double-sided treatments. This meaning you can use half the amount of PaperSaver to deacidify a sheet than if you sprayed both sides, which is a significant savings in time and materials!

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About Joe Zicherman

Joe Zicherman is an authority on paper preservation who recommends http://www.paper-preservation.com as a crucial step in preserving paper goods. For more information on paper preservation and deacidification products please visit: http://scrapbook-archivers.com/papersaver/.


And here is another random article you might be interested in...

3 Simple and Low Cost Marketing Ideas to Create Visibility

Marketing your business is one of the biggest challenges for any solopreneur â€" it's a task we all find quite daunting, and are simply overwhelmed by all the information that's available. Below I have put together some information on 3 simple and low cost marketing ideas, which you can easily implement right away to create more visibility for your online business and web site. They all work well for me!

To help you decide which is the best strategy (or strategies) for you, I have listed the pros and cons of each one.

Create a Blog

Pros

* You can really show off your expertise by posting on a regular basis.

* Blog posts don't need to be very long â€" approx. 200-350 words.

* If you have some important information to share, you can instantly create a post â€" no waiting for your next newsletter to make your announcement!

* If you use a blogging platform such as WordPress, this is hosted on your website. Each time you post to your blog you are creating fresh content for your website, which the search engines love!

Cons

* You need to post regularly - at least once a week â€" in order for this to be an effective marketing strategy.

* You need to feel confident that you will be able to write fresh content regularly.

* It can be difficult to build a direct relationship with your reader.

Publish an Ezine

Pros

* Unlike a blog, readers sign up to receive your newsletter so you already have a connection with them.

* You can build a relationship with your newsletter reader and encourage one-on-one communication.

* You can go into more depth in your newsletter article than you can with your blog posts.

Your clients/target audience can get to know you through your newsletter.

Cons

* You have to make a commitment to publish on a regular basis, otherwise your subscribers will see you as unreliable, and may even forget about you!

* There is more work involved in putting together a newsletter than writing a simple blog post.

* You will need to subscribe to one of the ezine distribution services â€" I strongly recommend you do this and not send your ezine via your email client!

Article Marketing

Pros

* If you are already blogging or publishing a newsletter, you have your articles written.

* It is highly likely that once you submit your article to one of the article submission sites, it will be picked up and published on other article submission sites.

* Regularly submitting your articles will elevate you to 'expert' status within your field/niche.

Cons

* You have to write the articles if you're not publishing a newsletter or posting to a blog.

* It takes time to manually research suitable article submission sites and submit articles.

* In order for this strategy to be effective, you have to submit your articles regularly â€" at least once a month.

Conclusion: You can just pick one strategy to focus on, or you can do all three! Whichever one you choose make sure it's the right one for you. The key is to be consistent in your approach. If you decide to go with a blog make sure you have the time and motivation to add new posts regularly â€" at least once a week. Don't start a newsletter if you know you won't be able to keep to a regular publishing schedule! And for article marketing to be effective you need to submit articles on a regular basis.

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About Tracey Lawton

Tracey Lawton is a certified Master Virtual Assistant with many years of experience, helping professional speakers, coaches, and authors operate an efficient, organized, and profitable business. Visit http://www.traceylawton.com/tips.htm to subscribe to her newsletter, Virtual Solutions, full of tips for operating a more productive business and receive Tracey's 'The 7 Key Steps to an Organized and Efficient Office' special report absolutely free.