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List of Archival Testing Pens

With the popularity of scrapbooks, more families are compiling family documents and mementos, and using more sophisticated archival methods. With the availability of professional materials such as library archival boxes, acid-free folders and archival tissue, building a family archive has become easier. Among the useful materials are pens that test pH levels in paper. These pens make it easy for a home archivist to protect precious documents.

American Crafts pH Tester
- The pH Tester pen by American Crafts tests the acidity of historical documents and family mementos. The pen tests for neutral pH archival qualities in paper materials and determines instances of high acid levels that can cause serious damage to historically important or sentimental items. The ink in the pen is chemically active and stays blue for stable levels and turns yellow if acid levels are high. There is a convenient scale printed on the pen.
Light Impressions pH Testing Pen
- The pH Testing Pen by Light Impressions uses Bromcresol Green, a chemical ink in the pen that changes color when determining the acid levels. The ink changes to yellow, green, or blue: yellow for high acid, green for some acid, and blue for acid-free. To provide a record of acidity, a blue dot is left.
Illustrator Acid Test
- The Acid Test pH pen from Illustrator is nontoxic and quick-drying. The pen tests all types of paper, including photo albums and scrapbooks. It provides a simple way to keep family documents and photos safe from the damages of exposure to acids. The Acid Test comes with a color-coded indicator.

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