Preserving ultrasound pics

KatInTheHat28

I'd like to "preserve" my ultrasound pics because I've heard they can deteriorate over time.  I called Kinkos and they won't laminate ultrasound pics because the heat from the laminating machine will destroy the pictures.  I bought some sticky self-laminating paper and it wasn't so great (air bubbles, weird ridges, etc). 

Has anyone else had luck preserving their ultrasound pictures?  What are you guys doing to make sure they stay intact over the years?  I've already scanned them onto the computer but I'd like to put the hard copies in my pregnancy/baby books.  Thanks!

Missbollinger

Other than scanning them there isn't much you can do, heat degrades the scan eventually over time.  All that is left of DS1's is a black blob with white lines that are indiscriminate (13 yrs ago).  

MichelleL1118

Yep, scanning is just about all you can do.  I'm scanning them in and creating a collage of sorts with them (because we've got images from 10 u/s so far, with 5 more scheduled), printing the collage, and putting that in the baby book.  I'll probably throw out the original images once they're scanned, backed up, and reprinted.

laceysmom82

I had no idea this happened!!  I scanned them all so I have them on a disk and a "copy" photograph of them.  Guess I'll put the scanned picture in the baby book instead of the actual u/s picture.  Thanks for the heads up!

futuremrscohick

Put them in an acid free photo album, or photo box.  My MIL did this with hers from when DH and SILs were little and Iused DH's in our wedding photo montage.  This is what I'm doing.  I've already gotten the ones I love scanned in online. 

pawcall

I would scan them and order prints of them.  I don't think there's much you can do to preserve the actual ultrasound photo itself, but a good quality scan and photo print will be nice.

KatInTheHat28

Thanks for the help ladies!  I guess I'll just go with the scanning and maybe get them printed on regular photo paper.  I wish the originals would last forever! 

houndbaby

Most of the ones I have were from Thermal Printers so they won't degrade the same way as ones from other ultrasound machines, the first ones I have from my ds were printed at the hospital and those have lightened and turned blueish, the other ones I have are fine, I also have some x-ray film from one of my ultrasounds I'm not sure what to do with. If you just want to put them in a baby book you can always try putting mod-podge over the pictures after you put them in the book the seal them, but that's permanent.