Today's Tip - Scrapbooking Terms (A)

AF - Abbreviation for: acid-free/lignin-free Acetate - A form of acidic plastic that causes photo’s, paper and documents to deteriorate and fade over time.
Acid - Acids weaken the cellulose in paper, which leads to its break down, causing discoloration and disintegration.
Acid Free - Materials that have a pH balance of 7.0 or higher. Many papers are considered acid free immediately after manufacture however unless they have been buffered, i.e. treated with a neutralising agent, chemical reactions with substances such as sizing or bleaching will cause the paper to become acidic over time. All plastic by its nature is acid free however some plastic is unsafe for use in photo albums.
Acid Migration - Acid migration occurs when something with acid is placed against an article that is acid free. Photographs mounted on acidic paper will weaken and crumble. Acidic memorabilia can be added to photo albums if encapsulated in polypropylene sleeves or placed on buffered card on a page underneath a protective sleeve.
Adhesives - The glue used to attach/secure photographs and other components onto a scrapbook page. Adhesive types include photo corners (clear plastic stick on style or paper "lick and stick" style) which are considered to be non permanent, photo tape, photo tabs, tape runner (all forms of double sided tape) which are considered permanent and photo safe.
Album - Blank book used to store scrapbooking photographs and scrapbook pages.
Alkaline - Alkaline substances have a pH over 7.0. They may be added to a material to neutralize acids or as an alkaline reserve or buffer for the purpose of counteracting acids that may form in the future. A buffer may be added during the manufacturing or during the process of deacidification. While a number of chemicals may be used as buffers, the most common are magnesium carbonate and calcium carbonate.
Alpha Cellulose - The strongest and most stable of all plant fibres. Because of this stability it is used in permanent paper.
Altered Book - An altered book is an existing book that has been changed or altered using glue, paint, collage, rubber stamps, and scissors, tearing, or adding to. “It is an expression of one's self, a piece of art, an experiment or a conversation piece."
Analogous Colours - Colours that are next to each other on the colour wheel.
Archival - Term describing a product or technique used in preserving artifacts, photographs, memorabilia and other items.
Archival Quality - A non-technical term which suggests that a substance is permanent, durable and chemically stable. There is no guarantee that this is the case. It is safer to look for acid free and lignin free when purchasing scrapbooking components.