Choosing the Right Craft Adhesive

1. Choosing the Right Craft Adhesive Scrapbooks exist because of adhesives. Period. Think about it: Each time we put a layout together we must use an adhesive of one form or another. Okay, I agree that we could hook a layout together using only brad fasteners or eyelets, but...those methods are exceptions, not the rule. When we purchase bonding agents we trust that they will safely hold our personal and family memories together for our lifetime and beyond. But will they? Gone are the days when white glue, rubber cement and cellophane tape were our only scrapbook adhesive options. A new generation of reliable and safe adhesives has emerged in the form of roller adhesives, double-sided tapes and tabs, liquids, sticks and pastes. With the good bonding agents also comes the bad - the imposters. Imposters may seem fine for our layouts but if used, they will over time, destroy our memories with acid and degenerative impurities. Acids and Photos Acids and photographs don't mix. Photos have acid in them from processing. When those acids are combined with acidic paper, adhesives, memorabilia and page protectors a chemical reaction occurs. Over time the acid silently migrates within your album leaving you with discolored, brittle or deteriorated photos and layouts. Our mothers and grandmothers had limited knowledge and products when it came to scrapbooking. The knowledge that acid is an enemy to photos and paper was limited to individuals who worked in places where preservation was imperative, such as national, state and private archives and libraries. When grandma or mom needed an album to put their photos into, they probably went to a dime store to find one. There they found albums containing black or cream construction paper pages, magnetic albums, rubber cement, and lick-and-stick photo corners. I know, it makes you cringe, but that's because you've been educated and recognize the telltale signs of acidic deterioration. Grandma and mom just thought their photos were getting "old". Scrapbookers don't want acids in their albums, and will go to great lengths to keep them out. We look for the words "Acid-free", "pH neutral", "Archival Safe" on product labels before we consider purchasing them. The Right Adhesives for the Job There are two types of adhesives: wet and dry. Wet adhesives are usually referred to as "glue" and come in liquid, paste, stick, or spray form. 

2.  Dry adhesives come in the form of tape, tab, dot and photo corners.Additionally, adhesives can be permanent, repositionable or temporary; which means they can be permanently stuck to your layouts or temporarily adhered--until you know exactly where you want an item. We recommend the exclusive permanent adhesive roller tapes because they are inexpensive, easy to use and high-quality. If you're looking for something extremely permanent and a big bang for your buck, the Clear Double Sided Adhesive Rolls have significant length and come in a variety of widths so they can be used on just about anything you're creating with paper. Adhesive Uses I'm not always a big fan of putting adhesives on the backs of photos. I often use photo corners because I want my scrapbooks to be archival which means I can remove any photo as needed from their safe environment. Technology makes it possible for us to copy, repair and produce photos so the need to have photos removable isn't as important as it has been in the past. If you don't mind your photos being stuck to your layouts, refer to the check marked adhesives under "Photos" in the charts above. If you want your scrapbooks to be truly archival, use photo corners. Avoiding Acidic Adhesives Don't use magnetic photo albums - Magnetic albums contain sticky pages with clear acetate or vinyl overlays. Photos left inside non-acid free magnetic photo albums are not safe; acid is hiding in the sticky stuff they're stuck to and in the acetate overlays. The plastics used in the overlays emit harmful gasses over time. With no airflow (because of the tight bond) the gasses become trapped between the overlay and the page. The chemicals silently destroy your precious photos. You should remove your photos carefully and as soon as possible. If they are stuck and cannot be removed, take the album to a copy center to have the photos you want to save copied. Or if the photos are priceless family heirlooms, consider taking them to a photo lab and having photos and negatives made. Some magnetic albums are labeled acid free. While this may be true, traces of the sticky page adhesive may be on the overlay, and end up on front of your photos. Over time the overlay may become stuck to your photos tearing them if you remove them. Don't place Post-it notes directly on your photos and layouts - Don't be foiled by this seemingly harmless act. Once the note is removed, traces of acid and adhesive may be left behind to do deteriorating damage. If you must have Post-it notes for your projects, put your layout items in a page protector first and then place the note on the outside. Read labels - Be sure to read product labels prior to purchasing. The manufacturer knows their own product better than anyone else, and they often have helpful hints to assist you in avoiding sticky situations. Don't use strong-smelling adhesives - Acidic agents can have an odor, making it easy to detect in adhesives. Rubber cement is one of those adhesives. If unsure about the acid content of an adhesive,     

3. don't purchase it. If you have an adhesive in your possession that has a strong odor or suspect it may be acidic, toss it out or use it for projects not related to scrapbooking.