An environment designed to protect and preserve films and photographic materials from damage caused by light, humidity, temperature, and other environmental factors.

Preventive conservation relies on maintaining a suitable environment, promoting proper care through good handling practices, focused on staff and user education. Along with good quality storage and housing, these factors have a lasting, positive impact on the preservation of a collection. It is crucial to understand that only cold storage can provide long-term access to these materials. Without cold storage, temperature-sensitive materials will deteriorate in a matter of a few decades; with cold storage they can remain unchanged for many centuries. It is essential to know the type of collection objects that are intended to be stored, as climatic conditions required depend on the type of media and material.