Why pages warp and what to do if this happens.
We work hard to maintain stable conditions during production of your books and albums and bubble wrap each item for added protection before delivery. However, once these are dispatched to you, they can sometimes be exposed to hot, humid or dry conditions that are out of our control. Instances of warping or rippled pages in our books and albums are rare—but do occur, which is why we've provided the following information, as this is often entirely reversible and is not a manufacturing defect.
What can you do if your photo album or photo book warps?
If you've just received a photo book or album and you've noticed some warping to the pages or cover, this is because the book or album has either:
1. Been exposed to unusually humid/hot/dry conditions on the journey to you.
OR
2. Is now in an environment that is substantially drier or more humid than its previous environment.
To remedy this, we recommend that you store your book or album in a warm, ventilated spot, laid flat with something heavy placed evenly on top for a month or more, to allow it to adjust naturally to its new environment.
Note that if the cover or pages do not show signs of straightening after a month or even a change of seasons please contact our customer service team with photos of your book or album.
Other helpful notes on warping:
Warping doesn't necessarily indicate a defect.
This is seen in all paper products, even in high-end, expensive art books. The reason for this is that paper is made from natural wood pulp and maintains the ability to expand and contract as a reaction to its direct environment.
Archival papers, like the ones MILK Books uses, have qualities within them that ensure longevity. However placing them in the correct storage conditions is still required. Like any other paper product, archival paper is susceptible to warping.
Warping occurs with coated (shiny) papers more than matt papers.
This is an accepted fact in the publishing industry. Papers with a coating on top (such as our semi gloss, photo lustre or satin papers), have a higher chance of warping compared to their matt paper counterparts because of this coating.
Matt papers are more breathable, therefore allowing any moisture to travel freely in and out of the paper resulting in flat paper, whereas our favorite shiny papers (giving us that lovely crisp print result), have a higher chance of warping and will usually have a very subtle wave in the paper due to this.
Extremely dry conditions are not better for preventing warping.
You'll know if storage conditions are too dry for your photo album if you notice the cover bowing, creating a gap between the book's cover and the book block itself.
This is because dry heat causes the paper fibres to shrink tightly around the plastic core, which causes the board pages to curl in on themselves.
Keep in mind that air conditioning units circulating hot dry air around your photo album can trigger this response and placing your album too close to a heater or leaving it in bright hot sunlight for extended periods of time can also cause a bowed cover and pages.
Photo books and albums may need time to settle into their new home.
We understand that seeing some warping in your beautiful photo book or album can be disheartening, but if you understand that paper products will "move" with their changing environment, you'll know that the chances of it moving back to flat are very high.
To encourage your photo book or album back to flat, weight it down gently by placing even pressure on top of it and put it in a well-ventilated, warm, dry environment away from direct sunlight and intense heat or cold.
For added protection, we recommend our exquisitely crafted clamshell presentation boxes. These will protect against the elements and keep your treasured keepsake dust free and protected from the sun.
We strongly recommend that all customers store their photo albums or books as per the Care Guide to ensure the pages stay flat. Any neglect to follow our storage guidelines resulting in gradual warping over time is the customer's responsibility.