• ENCLOSURES & SLEEVES
    FAQ's – Enclosures & Sleeves
    Q: Are your sleeves safe for color photos, old black-and-whites, and modern inkjet prints? Yes — Archival Methods sleeves and enclosures are made from PAT-passed materials, which means they’re safe for every type of photographic print: modern, vintage, color, B&W, resin-coated, fiber-based, inkjet, dye-sub, you name it.
    Polyester, polypropylene, and polyethylene are all stable plastics that won’t react with emulsions. So regardless of the age of your photos, they’re protected from acidity, off-gassing, and environmental contaminants.
    Q: What’s the difference between polyester sleeves and polypropylene ones? Both are archival-safe, but they’re designed for different needs:
    • Polyester (Melinex 516 or Mylar) Sleeves — super-clear, stiff, and museum-grade. Best for display, long-term storage, and items that need extra rigidity or support.
    • Polypropylene Sleeves/Pages — a little softer and more flexible, great for binders, albums, and handling large quantities of images.
      • If you want maximum clarity and longevity, choose polyester. If you need bulk organization in binders or boxes, polypropylene is usually the better fit.
    Q: Should I use clear sleeves and binder pages or paper enclosures for documents? It depends on how you plan to access them:
    • Use individual polyester sleeves for documents you’ll handle or display frequently.
    • Use polypropylene page protectors if you’re storing them in a binder system.
    • Use folders or envelopes made from acid-free paper if you want breathable enclosures for fragile or brittle documents.
    Archival Methods gives you all three options, and it’s common to mix them — documents can live in a buffered folder, inside a box, with any items you reference often kept in polyester sleeves.
    Q: When Are Polyethylene Bags the Best Choice? Use Archival Polyethylene Bags when you want:
    • Lightweight, economical, safe protection
    • A flexible enclosure for irregular or thicker items
    • Dust & handling protection
    • Grouping of small items or photos within boxes
    • Safe bagging for textiles, booklets, maps, or documents
    • Temporary or “in-process” organization

Bags +

Envelopes +

SLEEVES +

Folders +

4 x 6 Clear Boxes