Newspaper
Clippings - Friend or Foe?
Learn how to preserve your newspaper clippings from deteriorating.
by Brandie Valenzuela
May 1, 2004
Most people, at some point in their life, save a newspaper clipping.
Perhaps your child was the star of your local paper for a science
experiment. Or, the your teen's tennis team is heading to the state
finals. There are even sad events we may clip -- a national tragedy,
an obituary, or details of a car accident. The reason we clip these
newspaper article is because they document a period in time that for
whatever reason, we want to remember. Unfortunately, many people don't
consider the fact that the very article they wish to keep, is already
starting to slowly deteriorate seconds after coming off the press.
What do you do? Continue to clip and accept this as the way it is?
Absolutely not. With the help of modern technology, your newspaper
clippings can be preserved, so that they will never be yellow, brittle,
and faded. With a little preventive maintenance, your newspaper clippings
will be able to be enjoy by future generations. Here are your options:
1. Many family historians and scrapbookers swear by a product called
Archival Mist. Spray Archival Mist on your clippings and the solution
will neutralize the acid in the paper. This product can be cost
a bit more than the other options listed here, but if you wish to
preserve a document in original state, Archival Mist is the way
to go. Check your local or online scrapbook store or discount chains
such as Wal-mart to purchase this extraordinary product.
2. Recently, the popular spray paint company, Krylon, has came
out with their own product that neutralizes the acid in paper called
"Make It Acid Free". It is reported that Krylon's product is much
more cost efficient than the above mentioned Archival Mist. Check
for this product at stores selling spray paint.
3. Scanners can be found on many home desktops and with one, you
can print an acid-free copy of your newspaper article. To do so,
simply clip the article and scan into your computer. Then, using
acid-free paper, print a copy of the article. The results are fantastic
and usually look exactly like the actual clipping.
4. If you don't have a scanner, you're still in luck. Take your
newspaper clippings to your local print shop and have them copied
onto acid-free paper.
5. Another idea for deacidfying your newspaper clippings is to
use the following homemade solution. It is a bit more complicated
than the above options, but some like this method best. Please be
sure to this on an unimportant document first, as I assume no responsibility
for any damage caused by using or misusing this formula.
RECIPE for PRESERVING OLD NEWSPAPER CLIPPINGS:
One capful milk of magnesia
One bottle of club soda
Pour one capful of milk of magnesia into the bottle of club soda.
Carefully replace the cap and SLOWLY invert to mix the two fluids.
Store this overnight in the fridge. Pour the new solution into
a glass cake pan. Gently put a clipping into the solution for
2-3 minutes. Be careful not to tear or poke holes in the fragile
paper. Carefully place between WHITE paper towels to extract most
of the solution. Transfer and store overnight between two pages
of white blotter paper with books used on top for weights. This
method is not for manuscripts or letters as the ink will bleed.
So there you have it. Take some time and find those newspaper clippings
that you have tucked away and get them prepared for the future. Even
if you clipped them years ago and you find that they are already starting
to deteriorate, it's not too late. Stop their aging by using one of
the methods above.
© 2003 Brandie Valenzuela
Brandie is a wife and homeschooling mom to three children, who
also works fulltime from her home designing products and writing
articles for the scrapbook industry. She is a proud design team
member of Pages of the Heart at http://www.pagesoftheheart.net
-- a free resource site for scrappers. She also maintains her own
website at: http://scrapbookingwithbrandie.4t.com
