Review of New Preservation Workshop

On November 14-15, IPI held a two day workshop on the Preservation of Digitally Printed Materials for Libraries, Archives and Museums. Identifying and caring for the digitally printed objects in collections can be a challenging task. The workshop provided an overview of the history, technologies, and materials used in digital printing in order to give participants the knowledge and skills they need to identify and preserve the most common digital print types: inkjet, electrophotography, and dye sublimation. Practice with real examples of each process led to a better understanding of what will be encountered in cultural institutions including the variety of possible digital print formats such as photos, books, manuscripts, ephemera, fine art, etc. The class also reviewed how modern digital prints compare with the traditional prints like offset lithography and traditional color photography to provide a benchmark for predicting digital print stability and implementing care. The vulnerabilities of each type of digital print were covered so they can be stored, handled and displayed safely.The ten attendees enjoyed lectures, demonstrations, and hands on activities that illustrated the identification and care of these unique and diverse materials. Future workshop opportunities will be announced through this newsletter as well as the event calendars on all IPI websites.

In addition, IPI held two additional workshops that week “History, Craft, and Aesthetics of the Fine Art Digital Print”and “Introduction to Graphics Atlas”.