The purpose of this investigation was to determine whether exposure to light or ozone increases the sensitivity of some inkjetprinted images to surface cracking during handling. In previous studies, several inkjet print examples showed a potential for significant cracking and flaking of the image area when handled after exposure to light and ozone. In these new experiments both printed and unprinted samples of two glossy porous photo inkjet papers from different manufacturers were exposed in separate experiments to 50 kilo-lux fluorescent and 50 kilo-lux xenon light in increments of time for up to twelve weeks and to 5 ppm ozone for one and two weeks. The exposed samples were tested for cracking according to the procedure described in ISO 18907 "Imaging Materials-Photographic Films and Papers-Wedge Test for Brittleness". The samples were evaluated visually both with and without magnification to determine the wedge diameter where cracking is first seen. The samples were also measured with a Gretag Spectroscan to determine if the increase in cracking came before or after noticeable colorant fade or paper yellowing occurred. Even though the two papers selected for this study were the same type, they behaved entirely differently. One paper showed sensitivity to crack before exposure and increasing propensity to crack with exposure to light and ozone. The other paper was not sensitive to crack before exposure and only after twelve weeks exposure to xenon light showed surface disintegration. Because of this, it is difficult to reach general conclusions that represent the entire spectrum of inkjet print media. Additional work is needed to provide a more complete picture of brittleness behavior of these materials after exposure to light and ozone.
This study is part of a larger research project at the Image Permanence Institute dedicated to digital print preservation issues -the Digital Print Preservation Portal (DP3). Previous DP3 studies determined that certain digital print types are prone to cracking and/or abrasion, and that factors such as low relative humidity, pollutants, and light increase the brittleness of the ink-receiving layer of some inkjet papers. The purpose of this investigation was to explore if light also increases the propensity of inkjet prints to abrade, and to examine the potential of framing glazings to mitigate light-induced physical damage (cracking and abrasion) by attenuating some portion of the UV spectrum. Inkjet papers and prints were subjected to xenon lighting (to simulate daylight through window glass) without glazing, or in sealed framing packages with plain framing glass (soda-lime) or UV filtering glass. Before and after light exposure, brittleness, and abrasion resistance were evaluated independently using two tests: ISO 18907 (Imaging materialsPhotographic films and papers -Wedge test for brittleness) and a rub test utilizing a Sutherland ® Rub Tester. In this study, exposure to light increased the cracking and/or abrasion tendency of some specimens. The use of UV filtering glass reduced this light-induced propensity in all cases. Plain glass protected all samples from at least one of these two types of surface damage, but was less effective than UV glass. Light-induced brittleness and sensitivity to abrasion were mostly, though not exclusively, caused by UV radiation. It was also seen that some prints may become brittle and/or prone to abrasion in the absence of image fade. Budgeting the amount of light these objects can be exposed to, protecting them from UV radiation, and handling prints with caution especially after exhibition, is essential in order to limit physical damage.
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