Here are some sample questions that you might want to ask yourself when creating a criteria for encapsulation.ĭoes the document need greater physical support for viewing and storage?Ĭan the document be handled without much fear of tearing or breaking?ĭoes the document need additional protection from such hazards as extreme heat, moisture, light, and air pollution? It should be noted that certain inks will still fade despite encapsulation. If the document itself does not have intrinsic value and the information within has only historical value, then a photocopy of the document on acid-free paper may be a better cost effective measure. This method of preservation is very tempting but can ruin a limited budget if the archivist/church historian is not careful. Encapsulation can be a very expensive endeavor, especially if there are a number of fragile documents in need of special storage. This is the most important question the archivist/church historian needs to ask at the onset of any potential encapsulation project. Do not use any other type of double-sided tape since they are not archival and can cause irreversible damage to your document! WHY SHOULD I ENCAPSULATE? The latter width is used primarily with larger and heavier documents. This tape comes in both 1/4 and 1/2 widths. Use only 3M Scotch Brand double-sided tape no. The greater the thickness the more expensive the sheet.Īnother important fact to remember is that only one type of double-sided tape is considered archival and safe for encapsulation. Medium size documents should be encapsulated in 4 mil sheets and larger and/or oversized documents should be encapsulated in 5 mil sheets.
Most smaller documents will be encapsulated in 3 mil sheets. The weight and size of the document determines the thickness of the sheet. These sheets are available in 3, 4, and 5 mil thickness.
The sheets come in pre-cut sizes or rolls. The other product is called Melinex® 516 (manufactured by ICI Americas). One product is called Mylar? Type D (manufactured by the DuPont Corporation) which is commonly referred to as Mylar. There are two companies who manufacture this type of film. Let the buyer beware! Only one type of polyester film is considered stable enough to be archival. It is important to know that there are many different types of polyester film on the commercial market. If there is more than one sheet to be encapsulated within a given document it stands to reason that each sheet should be encapsulated separately from the others. This, however, does not diminish the role and value of encapsulation for rare and fragile documents that have intrinsic historical value.Įncapsulation is primarily used for single sheet documents. Without proper preparation to the document before it is encapsulated the rate of deterioration is actually faster than if stored under standard archival conditions. Contrary to prior archival wisdom of ages past encapsulation does not slow down the rate of deterioration of a document. It is a process that allows a fragile document to be sealed between two sheets of polyester film for protective viewing and ease of handling.
Double sided adhesive sheets archival series#
Double sided adhesive sheets archival manual#
African American United Methodist Timeline.
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