Warning: Picked acid-free paper over standard for my first restoration job, now three years later the difference is night and day

The cheap paper I almost used is already yellowing and brittle on my shelf, while the acid-free stuff I went with looks exactly like the day I bought it, has anyone else had to choose between cost and longevity on a tight budget?

2 comments

2 Comments

mason_reed4711d ago

Actually that acid-free paper was the right call but the way you tested it isn't really fair. Standard paper will always yellow faster if its sitting out in open air and light, while the acid-free stuff holds up way better in those conditions. The real test would be putting both in a dark storage box for three years and then comparing them, but even then the acid-free wins by a mile. Its just chemistry, the lignin in cheap paper breaks down over time and turns yellow, no way around it. You made the smart choice for your first job, especially if that piece is meant to last.

spencer_gonzalez111d ago

Must be rough putting that much thought into a first job and then having people nitpick the testing method. Nobody's first test is gonna be perfect, that's just how learning works. You clearly knew what you were doing with the material choice, that part was solid from the start.