Good day! You’re reading yet another nifty CopyLady blog! In this one, we’re going to talk about something that may be crucial to some people out there, including historians: Preserving decades old documents.

Yes, despite the age on these documents, they may (and usually do) still have value to the owner, or even another party. The problem with these old files is that time isn’t exactly friendly to them. Paper does get brittle, you do have situations where moisture, as well as insects and animals can potentially destroy these precious files. The ink these documents were typed or written in also fades out over time, until the text is just a faded memory. Exposure to the environment, as well as how these documents are stored, can mean the difference in having something you can read for ages to come, and something that just crumbles to dust in your hands.

This goes well beyond the usual legal type documents, such as deeds, titles, birth/death certificates, etc. Other things one may want to preserve are (but not limited to):

* Letters from a long-gone friend or family member
* Military service documents (Including your DD-214, or other pre 214 discharge orders.)
* Love letters to/from your spouse
* Old sheet music
* Electronic schematics/diagrams
* Poems and stories written from long ago that were never really published in a book
* Handwritten recipes

You may ask yourself: You’re a copier company, where does this fall into that realm? Well, we’re more than just a copier company. We also provide print shop services! We know documents like the back of our hands. We know how to manage documents and to help you manage your documents. With that, let’s start with some preservation steps.

STORAGE: This is unarguably the most important thing to discuss. The biggest thing to bring to light here is how you store your files. One thing to remember: Humidity harms.

That’s right. Humidity is the number one enemy to paper and it’s contents. Humidity can break down older paper, and deteriorate it’s printed or written content. In modern cases with printers and copiers, this is usually the biggest source of frequent paper jams.

Avoid storing your documents in an environment that is susceptible to insects and animals, such as a shed or barn.

Avoid storing your documents where they would be exposed to sunlight, or other UV sources. UV rays can deteriorate paper and it’s contents.

Consider using protectors. Avoid lamination as the heat exposure could damage your document.

WATCH OUT: Avoid protectors made of PVC (Such as those available in retail stores). PVC emits hydrochloric acid over time that can damage your fragile documents. You can find acid-free protectors on Amazon.

BACK EM UP: Another thing you can (and should) do, is make copies of these documents. This is where your copier can come in handy. I will however, hammer one major point home:

DO NOT USE THE FEEDER! The feeder can destroy an old paper file very easily due to it’s speed and pull strength. Instead, use the flat glass. While this can become a time consuming task, it’s better than risking an irreplaceable file.

COPYING/SCANNING FADED TEXT: Another issue one may come across is scanning or copying a faded out document. Often times, the copy may come out just as faded, or more. One thing you can do here is adjust the density settings on your machine, primarily towards the darker side. This will often enhance the content and give you a pretty good result.

GO DIGITAL: You can even use your copier to convert these documents into digital PDF files, allowing you to safely store and preserve the originals. Store your digital copies on backup drives, or even on cloud storage. If the original is somehow lost or destroyed, you still have a copy. This is especially handy if you need to send the document to someone. (ALWAYS send the copy, NOT the original!)

SCAN IN B&W: Most documents from those times won’t have much color, or if there is, the colors will likely be severely faded out. Scanning these in black & white can improve the quality of your digital version, although some tweaks to density and sharpness may be necessary. This is something you can experiment with.

With these quick tips, you can ensure that those old, treasured documents remain around for generations to come.