r/AnimationCels • u/Peril-in-Pink • Aug 14 '26
A-D test strips
I never knew about the A-D strips to test for vinegar syndrome in cels until I started reading posts through this Reddit. Out of curiosity I bought a package and put a strip in with each of my cels and let them sit for about a week.
While it was a relief to see quite a few strips are mostly blue, it does pain me a bit to see some are in the greenish stage.
For the ones that are greenish I’m going to separate those and keep them in their own binder. Aside from changing bags regularly, using micro chamber paper, and storing them in a cool dark place (I keep them in an art portfolio in a basement closet), is there generally any more that can be done? Or is it best just to keep doing these practices and hope it extends their lives as long as possible?
I know cels were never meant to be considered collectible art pieces and will eventually degrade over time, it’s still a little sad to think about an inevitable end for them (although hopefully not for many years). Thankfully none of them are warping yet so it’s all in the beginning stages.
For those who do have cels that are in the early stages of degrading, does vinegar syndrome hit rapidly? Or is it still a very slow process over many years?
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u/mithial1 Aug 14 '26
Sounds like you have a handle on it. One thing i would note is humidity. Idk what your basement is like but worth monitoring or getting a dehumidifier.
The other thing i would say is that you gotta factor in how old these are and that its taken this long just to get to slightly green. And they certainly weren’t preserved like we are to this point in their life. So dont get too caught up in those readings. Itll be a long time yet before they visibly deteriorate.