How to Store & Protect Old 8mm Film Before Digitizing
There's something special about finding a box of old home movies. Maybe it's tucked away in your parents' basement, sitting on a closet shelf or hiding in a dusty box in the attic. Inside those little reels could be moments you haven't seen in decades. Family vacations, birthday parties, holidays or grandparents who are no longer with us.
The challenge? Those memories are stored on film that wasn't designed to last forever.
Since we started Pure ImageNation we’ve heard from customers who have discovered old 8mm and Super 8 films and want to know if we can bring those memories back to life. You asked. We listened. And now we are proud to announce that we now offer 8mm and Super 8 film digitization.
Finding those old films is only the beginning. The next question is whether they’re still in good enough condition to digitize.
If you've discovered old 8mm or Super 8 films, you might be wondering what you should do with them. The good news is that even film that's several decades old can sometimes be successfully digitized. But how you handle and store it in the meantime matters.
Here are five simple ways to help protect your old 8mm film reels before they're converted to digital.
1) Keep Your Reels Cool & Dry
If your old home movies have been living in the attic or basement for the past 40 years, they're not alone. Unfortunately, those are two of the worst places to store film. Heat, humidity and temperature fluctuations can accelerate deterioration. Over time, film can become brittle, shrink or develop mold.
What to do: Move your film to a cool, dry area of your home where the temperature stays relatively consistent. A closet in a climate-controlled room is a much better choice than an attic, basement or garage. Avoid placing film reels near windows, radiators or other sources of heat.
2) Resist the Urge to Unroll
It's tempting to pull out a strip of film and hold it up to the light to see what's on it. But old film can be surprisingly fragile. The oils on your fingers can leave marks on the film, and pulling or bending it can cause scratches, tears or other damage.
What to do: Handle film as little as possible. If you need to move a reel, hold it by the reel itself rather than touching the film. If you must handle loose film, use clean, lint-free gloves and touch only the edges. And don't worry about trying to straighten curled film or rewind a loose reel. Those are jobs best left to the professionals.
3) Keep The Film Containers
Those little metal tins and cardboard boxes might look outdated, but they may have helped protect your film for decades. They can also hold something just as valuable as the footage itself: information about what's on the reel. A handwritten label that says "Christmas 1968" or "Summer at the Lake" might be the only clue to the people, places and events captured on the film.
What to do: Keep reels in clean, protective containers and save any original labels or notes. If a container is rusty, damp or deteriorating, replace it with an archival-quality film storage container. Whatever you do not seal film in airtight plastic bags, which can trap moisture and accelerate deterioration.
4) Watch for Signs of Film Deterioration
Old film doesn’t always age gracefully. Sometimes the warning signs aren’t obvious until you open the container. If you’ve found old film reels do a careful inspection signs of deterioration. The sooner deteriorating film is assessed by a professional company like ours, the better the chance of recovering the footage.
Signs of deterioration:
Film that looks curled, warped or unusually brittle
A strong vinegar or chemical smell
White residue or visible mold
Film layers that appear stuck together.
What to do: If you notice any of these problems, don't try to clean, unwind or repair the film yourself. Keep affected reels separate from the rest of your collection (see container recommendations in #3) and contact a film digitization specialist. One of the most frequent comments we hear from people with damaged film is “I thought it would be okay for a little longer.” Its important to remember with old film, every day matters.
5) Don’t Dust Off the Old Projector
Maybe you were lucky enough to find a projector with the old box of film. Wouldn’t it be fun to see if it still worked? We get how tempting it is, but if you truly want the best chance of capturing and saving what's on the reels, step away from the projector. Running decades-old film through an equally old projector is risky. Film can become brittle over time, and old projectors may have worn parts or mechanical issues. A damaged sprocket, failing splice or jammed mechanism can cause damage that can’t be repaired.
What to do: Get your reels to a digitization company. They know how to capture the content of the reels without the mechanical stress of traditional projectors. Once the footage is digitized and safe for generations to come, then you can decide if you want to risk playing them through the old projector.
At Pure ImageNation, we believe your memories deserve a second life. Whether its a childhood birthday party, family vacation or baby’s first steps, we’re here to help you preserve those moments for generations to come. So grab that box of old 8mm film reels and contact us. We’d love to help you see what’s on them. And, for more information about how we handle your materials, check out our photo handling promise.
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