Paper

The do's and don'ts of repair and labelling

Inappropriate labelling and repair methods can damage paper. The following guidelines can help to prevent such damage.

Biros, other ink pens and markers should not be used to label paper items. Many of these inks, particularly felt-tip pen inks, can spread and cause unsightly staining.

If you must label a paper item, write in soft pencil—a B pencil is good—on the edge of the back of the paper. Don't press down when writing because you might leave grooves in the paper.

Paper clips, even plastic ones, can damage and distort paper. They should not be used for attaching labels, even temporary ones. If you need to place a temporary label on a paper item, write on a piece of paper that is large enough to fold around the whole item.

Never mend pieces of paper with self-adhesive sticky tapes; these cause problems as they deteriorate. At first, the adhesive will become sticky and be easily absorbed into the paper. As the adhesive changes chemically, it begins to yellow and eventually turns a dark orange. At this stage, the adhesive is almost totally insoluble and any stains cannot be removed.

If you have a damaged piece of paper, place it in a protective sleeve or wrapper. This can prevent further damage until you can get advice from a conservator.

This photograph shows the damage that can be done by leaving paper clips on paper. Photograph courtesy of Vicki Humphrey

Severe staining usually results when you use sticky tape to repair paper. Photograph courtesy of Vicki Humphrey