3 Fantastic Ways to Mount Photos in an Album

Self-adhesive photo corners are commonly used to mount photos in a handmade album, but there are downsides. Most photo corners only support images sized 4×6″ or smaller. Black, gold or silver decorative corners usually contain chemicals that are not of archival quality. These non-archival products will yellow pictures and paper over time.

After much research, I found three fantastic alternatives to photo corners that I’m dying to share with you. In this post, I’ll review all three and share some links to my preferred products online.

Self-adhesive dot tape roller

Most paper crafters know about double-sided self-adhesive tape rollers, but this one is different. The Gudy Dot Self Adhesive Tape Roller is archival safe and water based, so it’s good for your album and the environment.

Here’s what I like: The dispenser spreads a layer of very strong, small dots in a horizontal grid pattern. This makes the dispenser easy to handle while avoiding the bubbles and gummy build up left behind by standard roller-based adhesives. It even passes the PAT test (Photographic Activity Test), which guarantees the product will not yellow or distort images over time.

Each dispenser contains 49 feet of adhesive at 3/8″ wide. I was able to mount photos in two albums with plenty left for future books.

bookbinding best ways to mount photos in an album using gudy dot glue dispenser roller — Gudy Dot Self Adhesive Tape Roller (img courtesy Talas Online)

Mylar L-velopes

The best way to protect photos is to fully encase them in an archival safe storage solution. Envelopes are a great way to do this inside a photo album, but visibility is a problem. Some envelopes have a reflective coating, making it hard to see the image. Others refuse to lay flat on the page, casting a glare on the surface. Some, like glassine, are semi-transparent so you can only get a hint of an image underneath.

For most people, these drawbacks are a deal breaker. That’s why I chose the Mylar L-velope as a solution.

Here’s what I like: Mylar L-velopes are made of uncoated heavyweight polyester, so they’re heavy enough to lay flat and provide a less distorted view. Two sides of each envelope are sealed shut, creating a “L” shaped enclosure. The top piece of film lifts from the opposite corner to easily position images. The entire envelope is mounted to the photo album page using adhesive.

Mylar L-velopes come in 20 different sizes to accommodate any image you might want to mount. The only downside is price. Depending on the size, each envelope can cost anywhere from $1-$21. Talas Online offers a discount when buying 50 or more, so that helps a little.

mylar lvelopes to mount photos in a handmade album — Mylar L-velopes (img courtesy Talas Online)

Photo Glue Sticks & Pens

When I mount photos, I want the process to be easy and efficient. That’s why I’m not a huge fan of photo corners. Each photo corner has to be positioned, peeled and stuck in place. That’s a minimum of four corners per photo. Believe me, it doesn’t sound like a lot until you’re in the thick of it wondering what in the world you were thinking.

Full transparency: glue sticks wouldn’t be my first choice for photo mounting, but the Pioneer Photo Glue Stick surprised me. Pioneer is a photo album manufacturer, so they understand what it takes to hold high quality photo paper to card stock or board. It shows. My images stuck quickly and did not bubble.

Here’s what I like: Pioneer makes two different stick shapes: round and triangular. Each stick spreads adhesive evenly and holds photos in place without bubbling up or wrinkling the paper. Besides being acid-free, the glue also dries clear, remains flexible and is non-toxic.

If you really want to get funky, try the pen version! It’s perfect for tiny photos, sentiments or labels.