Paper Question For Self-Printed Pages

Agreed, and frankly if I were printing out a 8,000 page precancel album I too would opt for an inexpensive paper.

But if I were interested in a quality heirloom, if I had rare stamps, if I had an environment which had fluctuations in RH or temperature, or if I were using sheet protectors...I would not be using cheap paper from Staples or some other big box store. These are the factors which will accelerate the consumption of any buffers the manufacturer might have added and then allow acids to form.

My concerns are not significant for myself, I often pull my albums off the shelf and look through them and am careful about the environmental conditions in my stamp room. But who knows how the albums that I have will be handled and stored after I am dead. Will my heirs have the same amount of diligence?

I am also a bit concerned with the trend for 'self printed albums'. Stamp collectors are often thought to be a umm... 'thrifty' group; I assume that many of us would rather spend money on stamps than supplies.
Self printing pages offers a huge opportunity to develop a truly unique album that lasts for many generations. But it also offers an opportunity to ruin a collection of stamps.
Don

Staples 67 lb cover stock is marked acid free. When I was looking, it was fairly easy to find acid free paper if you looked at papers beyond the 20# general purpose copy paper. Getting lingin free was harder.

Except that the term 'acid free' means nothing and certainly does not mean that the paper cannot turn acidic at any time. It is a marketing term used to dupe unwitting consumers.

Even the term 'archival' is marketing puffery, you have to look to the paper specs to understand if the paper you are using is safe or not.
Don

Is a ph testing pen worthwhile?

Yes, you can find them on Amazon. But note that they leave a permanent mark on the paper. I use them to on album pages next to the binder holes, out of sight when pages are in the album.

For folks who want to learn more (especially folks who use sheet protectors) you might want to read one of the last good accelerated aging tests for paper that was done (1997). Here is the link https://www.loc.gov/preservation/re...tedAging.pdf for the results. Dry reading for sure but note the section titled "Accelerated Aging within Sealed Enclosures".
Don

I use 1-1/2 inch binders for my 110-lb paper; any wider than that becomes a bit heavy when full.

Each album has two blank pages boht front and back. The 3rd page is the country title and following that an information page.
Each section has a title page: Semi-Postal, Air Post, Postage Due,
Officials etc..

Does using mounts provide adequate protection for stamps from paper that may not turn out to be acid free in the long run? (and, yes, saving money on paper only to buy expensive mounts makes little sense). I make topical albums for family members as gifts and always put the stamps in mounts to protect them not only from the paper, but from the inks I use to print the full color 2-sided album pages which are loaded with information and supplemental pictures/decoration. Speaking of inks/toner - any info on their long term effects?

No, acidification of paper can occur from atmospheric conditions. Paper is a sponge, it is constantly 'breathing'. Absorbing moisture, drying out, absorbing moisture, drying out. This is why conservationists stress the importance of storage conditions even if you use costly 'archival' paper. If you environmental conditions fluctuate, the paper can act like a sponge and absorb acids from the air (sulfur dioxide, nitrogen oxides, the same acids that make acid rain).
Don

I use Southworth 32lb 100% Cotton Paper in either white or ivory for most of my stamp pages.

When I worked at the National Archives, I asked one of the archivists whether cotton paper was a good choice. He told me 100% cotton paper is considered archival quality. Since it's not made from wood pulp, it's 100% acid free, and it will not acidify over time. It's also pretty mold resistant.

One of the big problems the National Archives has is mold. It's a bigger problem than acidic paper at times. They have a few freezers full of books in them to stop the mold from spreading.

Supposedly, the term you want to look for is "buffer paper." But even buffered paper has a life expectancy. The buffer will keep the paper from going acidic by neutralizing any acid, but at some point the buffer will exhaust itself. No idea what that time is.

I'm hoping I can join this topic late.
Are there any UK residents who can recommend a suitable A4 paper for printing Steiner pages please?
I have previously printed pages for my Japan stamps using plain Lindner paper but it is too expensive to use for my wider collection - 10 sheets cost £7.50 or about $1 a sheet! Unfortunately the papers recommended in this topic all seem to be US letter size. I need A4 and ideally in off-white or ivory.
Thanks in advance.

Dauwalders does A4 cartridge paper for self-printed leaves. Couldn't find it on the site (which is fairly useless) - email or give them a call -

https://www.dauwalders.co.uk/"

You'll probably do just as well, and be more likely to find the right shade with a decent gsm, via Amazon.

This might do the job. Lindner is too good for Steiner!

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Premium-Bu...C145&sr=8-13

Many thanks for your reply. I'll contact Dauwalders and see what they might offer.

I'd had a good look through Amazon and hadn't come across the paper you suggested, probably because I've been searching only for explicitly acid-free or archival paper. It's not clear from the Amazon site that this one is although the Blake website confirms it is indeed acid-free: https://www.blake-envelopes.com/pap...120gsm-61677. I also presume 120gsm is thick enough to take Davo mounts as I've been looking for 170gsm or thereabouts?

On the Steiner pages, I know what you mean! I did a certain amount of customisation on the Japan pages but I only intend minimal respacing for the remainder. I would really love some more attractive A4 self-print pages with SG numbers and a bit more information if only for the Commonwealth. Meanwhile Steiner will do the job!

Thanks again for your advice.