Archiving and storage of all of your valuable research material, old documents, wills, maps, newspaper articles, memorabilia and photographs even if just copies of the originals should always be done using archival acid free materials and safe archival preservation products.

We stock all your genealogy supplies - acid free pens, acid free paper, labels and card, acid free tissue paper, acid free adhesive and tape as well as certificate, census, and photograph/memorabilia storage binders. Storing in archival acid free clamshell boxes or "A" size archival boxes and using acid free tissue paper protects your items from light, dust and moisture.

For preserving all your certificates, documents and photographs in our binders we supply archival products - acid free pockets, acid free insert cards and acid free tabbed dividers found in this archival storage section of the Family Tree Folk site. A mixed pack of smaller acid free keepsake clear envelopes is also available to store those precious little memorabilia.

Do not use PVC pockets often found in general stationers - these are prone to plasticiser migration and destroy photographs along with the print and paper of all documents

Always ensure it is either archival polypropylene or polyester

Archival acid free document repair tape/repair kits, and white cotton gloves in four sizes. All used by professional archivists for handling and repairing old documents, books and photographs.

Please feel free to contact us on sales@familytreefolk.co.uk if you have any queries regarding using any of our genealogy products for preserving and archiving your valuable research items and memorabilia.

  

Why use certificate folders and acid free pockets for certificate storage?

Many people starting family history are given some original certificates - a grandparents marriage certificate, their own birth certificate, a parent's birth certificate. These are longer than A4, and can be extremely fragile, particularly if decades old. Many have unfortunately been folded and need to be opened and stored flat

To stop them deteriorating and store them in the best condition possible you need to archive acid free. Acid free archival materials are widely used by record offices and the legal profession and are now popular with family historians. At Family Tree Folk, we have a range of acid free products to help.

Instead of keeping your certificates folded in an envelope - or worse still, in a cheap PVC polypocket (this accelerates the ageing process acting on the paper, and strips the ink from the document), put them in acid free polypockets that allow them to be straight and unfolded. The acid free sleeves will prevent further yellowing and disintegration of the paper, and will stop accidental damage by handling.

Storing your original certificates in acid free pockets in a certificate binder keeps them flat and safe and away from light. They are clearly visible through the clear polypropylene or polyester and can still be used for reference as required. As well as our long certificate binder, folders for A4 landscape certificates are also available. These are useful if you only have the newer style certificates, which are all now supplied by the General Registry Office as A4 sheets. As with our deluxe long certificate binder our deluxe A4 landscape binders are available with a full range of acid free pockets, acid free card inserts and tabbed dividers.

Using acid free card inserts allows two certificates to be stored in each acid free sleeve and prevents the certificates touching. It also stiffens the acid free pocket and provides an attractive background to the certificate.

The deluxe certificate binders and acid free pockets can also take landscape A4 certificates (all newly purchased certificates are A4 landscape) as these also need careful acid free storage. With a cost of £11.00 for each certificate this now represents quite an investment, after all and they need to be stored for generations to come.