Protecting Your Digital Photos

You've faithfully captured your family's milestones with your digital camera: new babies, weddings, vacations, holidays and more. But what if all those priceless photos suddenly vanished? Without proper digital storage and protection, it could happen.

CDs and DVDs offer an easy, affordable and compact way to store your digital photo files. While manufacturers originally thought CDs and DVDs would last for hundreds of years, recent research has found that discs may start to degrade in as little as two years. They've dubbed the phenomena “CD rot.”

CD rot occurs when a CD or DVD's aluminum layer breaks down due to ozone and reactive oxygen, making it unable to reflect the laser pulse reading the disc. The breakdown erases the precious memories you've entrusted to the disc.

It's easy to prevent this deterioration, but simply storing discs in the plastic cases they're sold in isn't enough. The original cases have plasticizer vapors, which are highly acidic and can degrade a disc's contents, shortening its lifespan dramatically. Fortunately, new developments in media storage technology can prevent such disasters.

Store Wisely

Corrosion protection pocket pages can expand the longevity of your discs from 40 to 120 years. Corrosion Intercept® Digital Pages and Sleeves use semi-conductor technology that converts plastic into a protective barrier, neutralizing corrosive gases and preventing fungus and bacteria growth. The unique design of the pages allows you to see the disc front while protecting the data side. The clear, UV-protected film won't lift images from inkjet or laser-printed disc labels. Your treasured photos stay safely and securely stored.

To store your Corrosion Intercept pages and sleeves in Exposures style, choose an archival-quality Photo CD Album or Digital CD Storage Box. The albums and boxes look great on a bookshelf and will keep your CDs and DVDs protected and organized.

Choose the Right Media

In addition to how you store your digital media, the type of CDs and DVDs you choose is important, too. Archival Gold® CDs and DVDs incorporate non-corrosive 24-karat gold and patented Phthalocyanine dye to preserve digital images hundreds of years longer than ordinary discs. That's why it's called “the 300 year disc.”

Write Right

Always label discs with an Archival Magic Marker that's non-toxic and solvent-free. It's a simple but critical element to disc protection. Don't use pens, pencils or fine-tip markers to write on discs—they can damage the front of the disc, which is more sensitive than the “shiny” data side.

By using the proper storage media and techniques, you can avoid the heartbreak of losing your family's photographic history. At Exposures, we pride ourselves on helping you preserve your special moments and celebrate them for a lifetime.

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