Digital Print Preservation Workshop 2015

Funded by the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation

The Image Permanence Institute is hosting a three-day workshop on the Preservation of Digitally Printed Materials in Libraries, Archives and Museums at its facilities at the Rochester Institute of Technology in Rochester, NY. The dates for the workshop are October 20-22, 2015.

Identifying and caring for digitally printed materials can be a challenging task. This workshop will present an overview of the history, technologies, and materials used in digital printing and provide the knowledge and skills needed to identify and preserve the most common digital print types: inkjet, electrophotography, and dye sublimation. Workshop presenters will compare modern digital prints to traditional prints such as offset lithography and traditional color photography to provide a benchmark for predicting digital print stability and implementing care. Hands-on practice with real examples of each process will give participants a better understanding of the variety of digital print formats and the vulnerabilities of each type.

The workshop is designed especially for library, archive, and museum collection care professionals responsible for the long-term preservation of digitally-printed materials including books, documents, photographs, fine art, ephemera, etc. Examples of relevant staff include conservators, catalogers and registrars, curators, archivists, librarians, exhibition designers and preparators, etc. Conservators in private practice are also welcome to attend. Participants will learn through lecture, demonstration, print examination, hands-on exercise, and group discussion. At the conclusion of the workshop, each student will receive a binder with all class handouts as well as print sample sets to take home.

The workshop topics include:

  • What is a digital print?
  • The history of digital printing
  • The technologies behind the most popular digital printing devices
  • The variety of digital print formats
  • How to identify digital print types
  • Types of deterioration
  • Recommended best practices based on IPI’s most recent research
  • Naming conventions

Tuition for the workshop is waived due to generous support from the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation. Participants are responsible for all travel, room, and board expenses. Since attendance is limited to 15 participants, we are asking that applications be submitted for consideration. Attendees will be selected based on order of receipt as well as the need for a diversity of institution types, institutional roles, and geographic representation. Early application is highly recommended.

Click here to submit an application. Applications and supporting documents must be received by March 31, 2015. Notification of decisions will be made by April 30, 2015. Contact Daniel Burge at dmbpph@rit.edu if you have any questions.

Date: 
Tue, 10/20/2015 (All day) - Thu, 10/22/2015 (All day)