What mil. thickness of photo/print storage would be best to keep art safely amongst preschoolers, 3.6,4,6,16?

Question

I teach preschool, and just bought a ton of really nice art prints....but I want the kids to be able to touch them and move them, even sit on them if desired, without fear of bending, and ripping them. I've looked into the storage options available, and I need someones opinion on these varying millemeter thicknesses, and what they think those thicknesses can actually take/offer as far as kid uses and abuses go (the bending, sitting, moving, bumping).

Answer 1

Just so you know, you are not buying this product by millimeters of thickness, but rather by "mil". 1 mil is equal to 1/1000th of an inch and is used as a designator in the plastic sheeting and wire industries, among others. A plastic  that is 3 mil thick will be about the weight of a sandwich baggy, whereas 4 mil would be more like a ziplock bag. 3 millimeters, on the other hand, is approximately 1/8".

I'm not familiar with the product you're asking about but I'm guessing that it is essentially a flexible sleeve into which you slide the prints. If that is accurate then I would like to say that you will need a minimum of 6 mil, and I would strongly recommend  choosing the 16 mil. Whatever you choose, do be aware that there will be wear and tear. These materials are quite prone to scratching and kinking, especially under the sort of treatment you're describing. With the 16 mil there is a better chance that the sleeve itself will be what suffers while the print remains relatively unscathed.

I would also like to suggest that if you are offered a choice of surface finishes pick matte, or at the very least luster. Avoid gloss at all costs. Every smudge, scuff, scratch and fingerprint shows up just terribly on a gloss finish.

I hope this was helpful to you.