The most common form of print is the 4"x6" print. There are several ways to store these and other sizes of print:-

1) In the packet they came from.

This is good in that it is the cheapest option, and the negatives will always be with the prints so finding them for reprints/enlargements is great. However it is not recommended, because the pictures will have to be handled, getting them greasy and bent, and you will find that you can't be bothered to go through them one packet at a time when you are looking for a specific photograph. I tend to keep the less interesting photos of a set in the envelope with the negatives. This identifies the negs without having to handle them, and the only prints left are viewed very rarely so getting them greasy and bent is not important.

2) In an index box.

This is even worse than the above as it requires very careful labelling of what section is what and invariably leads to many photos being sifted through to find one.

3) In an album

The absolute best way to display/store them. There are three types of albums :-

-Individual pocket. My personal choice is this type of album with sleeves for each photo. This covers them but also allows them to be removed and replaced whenever necessary. They don’t get touched, can be moved individually and are very easily displayed (the most user friendly to leaf through). Avoid the space saving albums with overlapping pages as they are a pain in the butt to look through and are a cheap and tacky alternative to the real deal.

-Sticky leaves. This type holds the photos in place by a sticky clear sheet. I do NOT like these as after a relatively short time the adhesive can do one of two things, it can form the strongest adhesive known to man which has now sealed your photos into place, or it can decide its tired and never stick again allowing your photos to gently float to the floor each time it is opened. The only time I would allow someone to use such a beast is when they want to represent a specific event such as interailing around the world and want to include loads of other things such as tickets, pictures, coins and all the other sad things you can fit into an album - but even then , I would suggest the third type of album

-Loose leaf. This requires photos to be slotted into corners which are individually stuck to the page. These albums are bad in that it takes time to do but are good as they will accept photos up to the size of the album, do not affect the prints in any way, and will allow other odds and sods to be stuck in.

DISPLAY

For those extra special prints you can frame them or put them into a portfolio.

Both these methods are relatively simple and are VERY effective at giving you work the professional look.

To frame the print you should have the print enlarged to the desired size and buy a frame which is At LEAST an inch or two larger. You will then need a sheet of card (mounting board) which can be bought from any art shop. - This should be the same size as the frame. Now for the tricky bit: What you need to do is to cut out a section from the middle of the card which is fractionally smaller than your photo. When this is done, place the card on top of the photo, turn the whole thing over and tape the photo in place and assemble into the frame. This presentation can be improved in two ways. You can chose a color of card that compliments the photograph and you can use a special tool to cut the card with. This tool is called a "45 degree angled cutter" these are used to give the print a little depth in the frame and to provide a thin white boarder around the print and is the best way to view your work. The portfolio method uses the exact same technique, with the card, but instead of a frame, the mounted print is placed into a transparent sleeve and these sleeves are then stored in a giant filofax-like holder.