An investigation into the effects of solvent content on the image quality and stability of ink jet digital prints under varied storage conditions

Increasing numbers of galleries, museums and archives are including ink jet printed materials into their collections, and therefore displays. There is evidence that the instability of these prints is such that images can suffer deterioration in print quality or in extreme cases, a loss of information over an extended period of time. This is shorter than the period typically required for perceptible deterioration to occur in many other paper-based artworks. The image stability of prints is affected by a number of factors some of which have already been studied. However the role played by the ink solvent in the loss of image quality has yet to be explored. This paper will outline research being undertaken to investigate the effects of solvent content which may increase/promote the loss in image quality of the hard copy prints when stored or displayed under a range of temperature and humidity conditions

Effect of short-term simulated daylight exposure on optically brightened papers

Two optically brightened commercial papers were subjected to 72 hours continuous exposure to graphic arts daylight simulating fluorescent lamps at 1.4 and 4.4 klux. At the higher illuminance level, a CIELAB colour difference of 1.0 was reached in approximately 3 and 50 hours for the two papers. The colour differences produced by the 1.4 klux exposure were greater than that predicted by assuming a linear relationship between intensity and colour change, by a factor of 1.8