CD-R Not the Way to Preserve Family Pictures

Q: What would be your suggestion as to the best way to store old family photos? I have hundreds of photos in albums taking up space in my condo. I had planned to scan them onto CD-R discs and give the originals to my daughters. Recently, an AARP publication quoted an unnamed "IBM information storage expert" to the effect that the discs, unlike pressed compact discs used for professionally produced music and video recordings, typically last only two to five years. What would be a better solution for me?

— Sonia Lloyd, Mukilteo

A: This is one of those cases where the old-fashioned way is the best. When the photos are printed on quality photo paper using quality inks, you can expect them to last 80 years or more. CDs and DVDs used for "burning" on home computers can be expected to last a few years.

The difference between discs used for home burning and those pressed discs is that, with the latter, the data are recorded by cutting into the plastic of the disc, just as with old-fashioned records. With discs used for home burning, on the other hand, the data are recorded by exposing a dye in the disc to the laser in the optical drive. Unfortunately, the dye breaks down over time.

Another thing to consider if you want to retain data over decades is whether the information will be stored in a form that can be retrieved decades from now. Will there still be applications available that support, say, the JPEG format?

My recommendation, as with any other critical papers, is to keep physical copies in more than one location. And, if the photos are really important to you, keep a set in a safe-deposit box.