Accelerated Aging: A test that uses elevated temperature and humidity to predict long-term product performance; typically, products age 10-20 years in six months to one year real time.
Acid Burn: A brown line or brown coloration on paper that is a result of prolonged contact with acidic cardboard or other materials.
Acid-Free: Acid damages photographs, memorabilia, and artwork. Acid-free materials have a lab-tested pH between 7.0 and 9.5.
Adhesive: Material for permanently mounting photographs and memorabilia. Creative Memories adhesives include Tape Runner, Photo Tape and Photo Splits and Precision Point Adhesive.
Album: Book with flexible strap binding designed to preserve photographs and memorabilia; bound book containing preformed Story Sleeves that hold photographs, memorabilia and journaling.
Album Liner: Paper or cloth used on the front and back cover of the album.
Album Pages: Removable paper sheets with reinforced edges for mounting photographs and memorabilia.
Album Strap: Removable polyethylene strap that holds the album pages in the album.
Archival: An ambiguous term used to describe everything from backup copies of computer files to documents that will remain accessible for an indefinite time in the future. The term is no longer used in International Standards for imaging materials or at Creative Memories.
ASTM D-4236: The international standard that requires labels for art materials to list components that may produce chronic, adverse health effects.
ASTM International: Worldwide organization that develops technical standards for materials, products, systems and services.
Bleed-Resistant: Material that resists color transfer when placed in water or in a humid environment.
Buffered: Buffered materials resist the effects of acids in the environment or in memorabilia. Photo-safe buffered material has an alkaline reserve of at least two percent calcium carbonate.
CD: An abbreviation for Compact Disc, which is a laser-encoded plastic disc designed to store large amounts of data. Recordable CD-Rs may be used to preserve digital image files. CD-RWs are not recommended for long-term preservation.
Coverholder: Polypropylene piece that holds the album strap at the front and back of each Creative Memories album.
Coverset: Front and back pieces, spine, coverholders and album straps of a Creative Memories album.
Dark Storage: Storage in the absence of light, such as inside a closed Creative Memories album; recommended for photographs and memorabilia.
Digital Image: An image stored as a digital file on a camera, memory card, photo CD, or on a computer hard disk.
Digital Print: Print produced from a digital file, typically using an inkjet, dye sublimation or electrophotographic printer.
Double Dipped: Paper featuring a printed solid color or pattern on both sides.
DVD: An abbreviation for Digital Versatile Disc, which is basically a high density CD. DVD-Rs and DVD+Rs may be used to preserve digital files. DVD-RWs, DVD+RWs, and DVD-RAMs are not recommended for long-term preservation. See CD.
Dye Sublimation: Printing process that uses heat to transfer colorant from a donor ribbon to the final print. Snapshot-sized photo printers and photo kiosks frequently use this process; also known as dye diffusion thermal transfer.
Dye-Series Paper: Paper that is acid-free, lignin-free and buffered, and passes the Photographic Activity Test.
Electrophotography: Printing process that transfers toner to the paper and then fuses it in place. Photocopiers and laser printers use this technology.
Fade-Resistant: Material that resists color change when exposed to light.
Fiber-Based Print: Photograph produced directly on a non-resin coated paper, typically seen in heritage or fine art photography. See Resin-Coated (RC) Print.
Flysheet: Removable paper sheet with reinforced edges used in the front and back of some albums; front sheet contains a printed bookplate and is not recommended for mounting photos.
Foil: Metallic sheeting applied to the surface of some Creative Memories albums and stickers to produce a shiny appearance.
Inkjet: Printing process that deposits very small droplets of ink onto paper producing a full-color print from four inks and a photo-quality print from six or more inks; dominant printing technology for the home market.
International Organization for Standardization (ISO): Worldwide organization that develops standards for various industries including the photographic industry.
ISO 11540: The international standard intended to prevent children from choking on caps for writing instruments.
ISO 18902: The international standard stating that materials used for photographic albums, framing, and storage materials must be acid-free, lignin-free, buffered and bleed-resistant to ensure that photographs do not prematurely deteriorate.
ISO 18932: The International standard that requires that adhesives used for mounting photographs be both photo-safe and permanent.
Laser-Cut: Method of using a high-power carbon dioxide laser to precisely cut intricately detailed stickers, allowing them to be easily removed from the backing sheet, and the intricate details to appear on the album page.
Lignin-Free: Lignin is a naturally occurring component of wood pulp that causes paper to turn brown and become brittle with age. Photo-safe lignin-free paper products have the lignin content reduced to less than one percent.
Magnetic Album: An album with pages that have pre-applied adhesive and a hinged plastic sheet that covers the page. The pages in these albums tend to be acidic and will likely damage photographs over time.
Memorabilia: Any non-photographic material that goes into your scrapbook keepsake album, including items of personal significance such as wedding invitations, newspaper articles, and ticket stubs.
Memorabilia Pocket: Polypropylene pocket intended to hold memorabilia within an album.
Memory Manager Software: A Creative Memories tool for organizing and enhancing digital images. Memory Manager features a Memory Vault for storing images as well as audio and video clips. It includes image-editing tools, PicFolio Album planning, an image-organization system and many more valuable features.
Milled: Process of adding colorant to paper in the pulping stages, rather than printing color onto the surface of the paper after it is manufactured.
NegCare Envelope: Photo-safe envelopes used to store NegCareTM Sleeves, index prints, or CDs.
Page Protector: Photo-safe polypropylene sleeve sealed at the top and bottom that slips over the album page to protect photographs and digital prints from fingerprints, abrasion, accidental spills and environmental contaminants.
Perfect Fit: Printed photo mounting paper that fits a 12" x12" album page, allowing for "backdropping" the photo mounting paper behind photos and memorabilia.
Permanent: Adhesive intended to irreversibly mount photographs and other materials so that they become an integral part of the album; ink that is fade-resistant, water-resistant and resistant to chemical solvents.
pH: A numerical measurement of acidity and alkalinity, zero being very acidic, 14 being very alkaline, and seven being neutral.
Photo Mounting Corner: Self-adhesive polypropylene triangle for mounting and removal of photographs or memorabilia.
Photo Mounting Paper: Colored or printed paper intended for use as a backdrop or embellishment to mounted photographs.
Photo Mounting Sleeve: Polypropylene enclosure closed on two sides; used to store photographs or memorabilia for removal at a later time.
Photo Split: Permanent self-adhesive tab with easy-to-remove backing paper.
Photo Tape: Permanent self-adhesive roll of tape with easy-to-remove backing paper; can be cut to desired length.
Photographic Activity Test (PAT): Test that identifies materials likely to react adversely with photographs. One of the routine tests that is part of Creative Memories' product development process.
Photographic Print: Print produced on traditional light-sensitive photographic paper; may be produced from an exposed negative or from a digital file.
Photo-Safe: Material that is acid-free, lignin-free, buffered, bleed-resistant and meets other International Organization for Standardization 18902 requirements so that it will not accelerate the natural aging of photographs. Photo-safe is frequently misused to describe materials that only meet acid-free or Photographic Activity Test requirements.
Polyester: Photo-safe plastic used as a window in Creative Memories Specialty albums.
Polyethylene: Photo-safe plastic in Creative Memories album straps and NegCareTM sleeves.
Polypropylene: Photo-safe plastic in Creative Memories Page Protectors, Portrait Sleeves, Photo Mounting Sleeves, Photo Mounting Corners and coverholders.
Polyvinyl Chloride (PVC): A common plastic that is not photo safe and should not be used in photo albums. PVC contains plasticizers (or softening agents) that can migrate out of the vinyl and cause photographs to fade or become discolored. PVC is characterized by a strong "plastic" smell.
Portrait Sleeve: Album page-sized polypropylene enclosure with a reinforced edge that is closed on three sides for storing photographs or memorabilia.
Power Palette: A fully-coordinated, photo-safe collection of stickers, photo mounting paper, and journaling boxes designed to help customers quickly complete albums.
Precision Point Adhesive: Permanent, photo-safe liquid adhesive intended for mounting enhancements and other items.
Preservation Calculator: Tool to show the influence of temperature and relative humidity on the longevity of photographs; available at www.creativememories.com/technology/prescalc.
Quick_kit: Kit containing an album, paper, stickers, and other embellishments. The paper, ink, and albums are photo safe; stickers and embellishments that may not meet these requirements are strategically placed to avoid direct contact with photographs.
Recommended Storage Conditions: Temperature and relative humidity that minimize the natural aging of photographs and memorabilia; 77 degrees Fahrenheit (25 degrees Celsius) or less with 20 to 50 percent relative humidity; see also Dark Storage.
Reinforced Edges: Acid-free, lignin-free, buffered strip at the edge of Creative Memories album pages and Portrait Sleeves. Reinforced edges not only hold page protectors in place, but also strengthen the album pages, ensuring the pages will withstand years of use.
Resin-Coated (RC) Print: Photograph on polyethylene-coated paper. See Fiber-Based Print.
Shelf Life: The length of time that a product will function at an acceptable level. All stickers, adhesives and pens have a minimum shelf life of one year after shipping from Creative Memories; however, these products will generally last longer if properly stored.
Spine: Removable piece of reinforced bookcloth that is inserted into a refillable album.
Stain Resistant: Material that is generally resistant to stains such as peanut butter, coffee and cola. Stain resistant materials can be cleaned with relative ease.
Stitch: Stainless steel wire on the edge of the album page that allows the album strap to hold the album page in the album.
Story Sleeve: Slip-in-style, polypropylene sleeves found in the PicFolioTM Albums. The sleeves are sealed on three sides, allowing for easy addition and removal of photos, memorabilia and journaling.
Tape Runner: Permanent segmented adhesive enclosed in a dispenser that applies the adhesive and removes the backing liner.
Technology Center: In-house organization that verifies long-term performance and photo-safety of Creative Memories products.
Vellum: Translucent paper in a wide variety of patterns and colors intended to resemble parchment. Vellum paper must be buffered to comply with ISO 18902.
Water-Resistant: See Bleed-Resistant.
