As time passes, new memories are documented as happy times are shared by all. With each graduation celebration, birthday party, wedding, or valuable moments comes an opportunity to hold those precious moments forever. Although it’s more accessible to capture photos or videos in today’s time, it’s important to not forget the box of memories holding old photos and tapes of your loved ones past. Choosing to get old film digitized will promise a lifelong security, while avoiding deterioration or heat damage. Learning how to prepare your film for digitization will prep those memories for the 21st century and leave you with beautiful results.
First, Say Goodbye to Dust
The first step to preparing old film to be digitized is to get them clean and clear of dust. The most efficient way to do this is to use a canned air compressor, allowing you to not physically blow on the film to avoid saliva. This can also be done with a lint-free cotton cloth to clear the tape of oils or fingerprints. Using gloves for both of these options will help the process go smooth and leave them squeaky clean.
Second, Give A Dab of Alcohol
It’s important to not go overboard with this step, as you only need a small dab of 98% Isopropyl alcohol on a Q-tip to wipe away and leftover smudges. Using an alcohol with a lower percentage may streak marks and will not evaporate quickly, leaving your film to cause a reaction to the alcohol.
Third, Let it Dry and Dust Again
After allowing the alcohol to break down the oils and completely dry, we advice you wipe the tape down one more time with a lint-free cloth. When drying the tapes, make sure the film is completely dry before rolling it back into the tape, as this could cause the film to stick together resulting in damage.
No matter how dirty you find your old tapes, performing these three simple steps will make the digitize process an absolute success. These tapes hold moments in life that were once shared and wanted to be remembered. Taking proper actions to care for their value will pay in the long run!
Keepsake Solutions is a Columbus, Ohio based memory preservation service with over 15 years of experience transferring VHS tapes to DVD. We use cutting edge technology and state-of-the-art techniques to ensure that your memories are preserved, and that no precious moments are left in the past.
Keepsake Solutions is a Columbus, Ohio based memory preservation service with over 15 years of experience. We use cutting edge technology and state-of-the-art techniques to ensure that your memories are preserved, and that no precious moments are left in the past. If you’d like to contact us with questions or comments, please feel free to do so at (614)392-1909 or email us below