Rochester Institute of Technology (Image Permanence Institute)

This research project will settle a fundamental, long-term preservation policy and strategy question for museums: Which is the better approach to mitigating damage by pollutants to inkjet prints—lowered-temperature storage or enclosure? A survey of the field conducted by the Image Permanence Institute (IPI) of Rochester Institute of Technology found that 80 percent of cultural institutions have inkjet prints in their collections, that they are concerned about continuing influxes of these materials, and that they are not well informed about how to care for them. The same survey showed that objectionable deterioration has already occurred, including fading, yellowing, color bleed, surface cracking and delamination. IPI’s previous research established a clear connection between ozone and nitrogen dioxide and each of those forms of decay. This project will result in strategies for mitigating the effects of these airborne pollutants.