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[OM] Organising / Archiving Photos.(marking photos)

Subject: [OM] Organising / Archiving Photos.(marking photos)
From: Joe Gwinn <joegwinn@xxxxxxxxx>
Date: Mon, 7 Oct 2002 21:54:02 -0400
Comments below.

At 3:32 PM +0000 10/7/02, olympus-digest wrote:
>Date: Mon, 7 Oct 2002 12:07:06 +0100
>From: "Jon Mitchell" <jon@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
>Subject: [OM] Organising / Archiving Photos.
>
>Hi Everyone,
>
>Well, it's finally got to the stage (OK, it got there a long time ago!) that
>I have so many prints, negs, etc., that I am getting in a total mess trying
>to find anything.  It's time to organise everything.
>
>I have numbered all my films (chronologically as far as I can figure !) so
>at least I've got that bit almost sorted.  I am now faced with a pile of
>Hundreds, probably more like thousands, of prints.  Some in albums.  Some in
>packets.  Some dotted around all over the place !!
>
>So, next jon is to try and identify each shot from the negs.  Not too bad,
>I'm working through that and it's not too difficult.  So far, for the most
>part, they have been kept "together" in groups of film and sometimes even in
>order !
>
>Question is, what do you guys use to write film / frame no on the back of
>the prints ?  Obviously I don't want to use something that will make an
>"imprint" on the other side.  Thoughts so far are :
>
>1) A fine permanent marker (I believe you guys in the US call them
>"Sharpies", or am I just losing my marbles completely !).  Would these
>eventually soak through the paper ?

With the Sanford "Extra Fine Point" Sharpies, it hasn't been a problem for me, 
though who knows if a problem won't develop after 20 years?  I don't mark 
anything I intend to keep for decades.  Sanford does seem to use a very good 
grade of ink.


>2) A small sticky label with the number written on.  Would this not ooze gum
>over the print behind it in the pack ?

No stickum label will last more than 5 years.  The adhesive will stain the 
photo, get on everything, then dry out.  Impossible to remove, and not even 
adhesive anymore.


>3) A biro, pressed VERY lightly.  Not keen on this 'cos of the pressure and
>the fact that biro ink is a bit "globby".

Ballpoint pen ink is basically dyed grease, and will slowly diffuse through the 
paper, and sideways in the paper.


>4) Tried pencil, very lightly, but it doesn't seem to work on the paper !!

Very soft pencil might work, but the marks would wipe off quite easily.


>All thoughts as always are welcomed.  

I use india ink.  Specifically, a Kohinoor Rapidograph with "0" or "00" jeweled 
point and Rapidograph black india drafting ink, type 3080-F (waterproof for 
paper and film).  This will mark the gelatin side of the photo, or the back, 
with equal facility.


>Also if anyone has any PC based
>databases they have used successfully, I may be interested in a link !  I've
>tried writing a simple thing in Access, but it really isn't one of my strong
>points and the PC nearly got a fist through it's screen !!

My favorite database is Panorama (by ProVUE Development, www.provue.com), 
because it's so fast and simple.  It works in memory, and you periodically save 
the entire database image to disk, just like a word processor.  Working in 
memory makes it something like 100:1 faster than a disk based database, if your 
data is small enough.  It easily handled a 15,000-record database on a slow 
1996 computer, doing full searches in seconds.  Because in-memory operations 
are so much faster than disk I/O, the database is far simpler, not requiring 
the complex datastructures of a disk-based database.

The other alternative is a ascii text file and a programmers text editor like 
UltraPad.  Just type the data in, and use the search facility when something 
needs finding.  MS Word will work, but it's slow and clumsy if the database is 
large.

Joe Gwinn


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