How to Store Film and Archive Negatives (Plus Airport X-Rays)

Heat, humidity and light are the enemies of film, both before you shoot it and after you develop it. Good storage keeps unexposed film fresh for years past its date and keeps negatives printable for generations. And because so many photographers travel, it is worth knowing how to get film safely through airport security.

Storing unexposed film

• Room temperature, below about 75°F (24°C) and away from sun, is fine for film you will use within a few months.
• The refrigerator, around 40 to 50°F, slows aging considerably and is ideal for film you'll use within a year or two.
• The freezer slows aging almost to a stop and is the best choice for long-term stockpiles, especially of fast film.

Keep film in its original sealed packaging, or in a sealed plastic bag or container, to keep moisture out.

Never leave film in a hot car, on a dashboard or in a glove box. A few hours of summer heat can fog film and shift its colors. See shooting expired film for what storage does to old film.

Exposed film

The latent image slowly fades and fog builds after exposure, especially in heat. Develop exposed film within a few weeks if you can. If you must hold it, store it cool and dry, refrigerated in a sealed container.

Archiving negatives and slides

• Sleeves: store negatives in archival sleeves made of polyester, polypropylene or acid-free paper. Avoid PVC, which gives off damaging gases as it ages.
• Binders and boxes: keep sleeves in archival binders or boxes, upright, in a cool, dry, dark place.
• Humidity: aim for about 30 to 50 percent relative humidity. Damp encourages fungus and mold; very dry air makes film brittle.
• Temperature: cool and stable is best. Basements risk damp; attics risk heat.
• Label everything: date, place, film and development, on the sleeve, with an archival pen.

Thorough fixing and washing when the film is developed matters as much as storage, since leftover fixer slowly stains and fades negatives. See developing black and white film.

Color dyes fade even in the dark, more slowly in cold storage. Scanning important color negatives and slides is good insurance. See how to scan film.

Airport X-rays and CT scanners

Checked baggage scanners use strong X-rays that can fog film, so never pack film in checked luggage. Carry-on X-ray machines are much gentler; most film up to ISO 400 or so passes through a few times without visible effect, though the dose is cumulative.

The concern now is CT scanners, which are being installed at carry-on checkpoints and give a much higher dose. They can visibly fog film, especially fast film.

• Ask for a hand inspection. In the United States, TSA allows travelers to request hand inspection of film; rules vary by country and airport.
• Carry film in a clear plastic bag, out of the boxes, to make inspection quick.
• Always hand-check film of ISO 800 and above, and any film that will be scanned more than a few times on the trip.
• Consider buying film at your destination or shipping it, and having it developed before flying home.

Developed film is not affected by X-rays at all, so if you can process film before your return flight, the problem disappears.

All the guides are on the Learn Film Photography page, and every term is in the glossary. Shot something on film? Share it in the gallery.