The Simple Trick to Preserving Archived Documents

Archiving business documents is easy with the right products to preserve them for optimum lifespan.

Due to legal obligations or just the need to keep a paper trail, most businesses need some sort of archiving process for their documents. In a well-organised, streamlined office, the process will start long before the documents are archived, with a system that includes printing on paper suitable for archiving, storing in folders that are suitable for archiving, only keeping relevant documents, and organising them purposefully.

Your goal in archiving business documents is to preserve your records while keeping them accessible. Storing them in a dry cool place, away from light exposure, and minimising interference from pests and pollutants, are the universally agreed-upon methods for preservation. Access will be determined by your storage capacity and location, but can be controlled by how you store your documents.

Preservation

Good storage significantly prolongs the preservation of paper materials. Beyond choosing a suitable location to store your files, it is important to also choose the right containers for optimum preservation. This is a twofold process:

Lever Arch Files
First, storing your documents in a quality lever arch file will offer them protection from the moment you start filing them. A lever arch file is a folder that has a rigid cover and a lever mechanism for opening and closing the metal rings that are secured to the inside of the back cover. The front cover has metal-rimmed slits called rado fittings, that the rings fit through and lightly lock in to when the folder is closed. Documents are securely held in place by a compressor bar that clamps against the rings. A perfect lever arch file for archival purposes is the SafeSkin Insert Lever File that has been treated with an antimicrobial additive which combats the degradation caused by fungi, moulds, bacteria, and other microorganisms, helping your files to last longer.

Archive Boxes
The other step is storing them safely. Archive boxes are specifically designed to contain archived documents in sturdy but lightweight cardboard boxes with handles so they can be moved as needed. Closing files up in a box will protect them from gathering dust or other contaminants, and you can logically store files together for access or destruction at the same time. Boxes are especially useful for when you choose to store your archives offsite as they can be more easily managed. Store them chronologically and move them out for destruction as the time expiration is met.

Accessibility

You want to store your documents accessibly without compromising their preservation. Maintaining visibility of your files makes them easier to access. Traditionally the names of the contents were simply written on the outside of the archive box and this was all you had to identify what was contained within the archive box. Now you can also choose windowed boxes to read the labels on the files themselves. The SafeSkin lever arch files have a clear overlay on the spine as well as the front and back covers, so you could colour-code them for even easier identification. Pair them up with Bantex’s Lever Arch Archive Box with Window. The antimicrobial treatment in the SafeSkin files will act as an extra barrier against the open window in your archive box. Or for enclosed storage, choose the Store N Archive Box which sits on its side and offers easy desktop storage of your lever arch files, then simply turn over and close the lid for archiving. The spines of your lever arch files will be face up inside the box for quick identification.

The trick to archiving business documents is combining SafeSkin antimicrobial lever arch files with sturdy archive boxes. Keeping you documents in their original lever arch file will reduce loss or damage from transfer; the antimicrobial treatment in the SafeSkin lever arch files will protect them from degradation from microorganisms, and the archive box will contain them compactly and securely, ready for shelving or stacking. Find these products here: