DP3: Digital Print Preservation Portal

Process ID Tool

IPI welcomes reading recommendations to include on this page. Send the name of any book, journal, conference proceeding, etc. that you feel would be helpful to the field to dmbpph@rit.edu. Please do not send references to individual articles as we can not possibly list them all. Suggestions must be current, clearly relevant, and easily availability. Final decisions regarding recommended reading inclusions will belong solely to IPI.


Journals


JIST   Journal of Imaging Science and Technology (JIST)

A peer-reviewed source for the most in-depth technical studies on the ink, media, and technologies used for digital printing. While the journal covers digital printing in general, there are often articles on the stability and permanence of these materials.

Available for purchase online from the Society of Imaging Science and Technology.

Conference Proceedings


Archiving   Archiving 2006 - Final Program and Proceedings

This conference of the Society of Imaging Science and Technology presents expert perspectives on topics such as storage, obsolescence, sustainable business models, and formats and standards. Techniques for producing, capturing, preserving, indexing, and accessing digital objects and images are explored in depth. Archiving is a blend of invited focal papers, keynote talks, and refereed oral and interactive display presentations.

Available for purchase online from the Society of Imaging Science and Technology.
Institute of Physics   Preservation and Conservation Issues Related to Digital Printing and Digital Photography

The Institute of Physics conference is a discussion venue for the progress of research on inks, substrates and printing technologies intended for archival usage. This conference is intended primarily to inform the international cultural heritage community about developments in digital photography and printing technologies and their significance for conservation and preservation issues and techniques.

Available for purchase online from the Institute of Physics.
NIP 24   NIP 24 - 24th International Conference on Digital Printing Technologies - Digital Fabrication 2008 - Technical Program and Proceedings

The Non-Impact Printing conference of the Society of Imaging Science and Technology is the premier technical conference presenting technical papers on the stability of all digital print processes. Each conference has had a special session dedicated to technical papers on image stability and permanence.

Available for purchase online from the Society of Imaging Science and Technology.

International Standards


ISO 18902   ISO 18902 - Imaging materials - Processed imaging materials - Albums, framing and storage materials - ISO 2007

This standard details the chemical and physical requirements for products to be used as storage containers, exhibition framing packages, and photo albums for all imaging materials. The scope includes not only traditional photographic prints but also modern digitally printed materials including inkjet, direct dye thermal transfer ("dye-sub"), and electrophotographic.

Available for purchase online from the International Organization for Standardization.
ISO 18920   ISO 18920 - Imaging materials - Processed photographic reflection prints - Storage practices – ISO 2000

This standard describes recommended storage practices including environmental conditions to maximize collection longevity. The scope includes not only traditional photographic prints but also modern digitally printed materials including inkjet, direct dye thermal transfer ("dye-sub"), and electrophotographic.

Available for purchase online from the International Organization for Standardization.

Books


The Digital Print: Identification and Preservation by Martin C. Jürgens   The Digital Print: Identification and Preservation by Martin C. Jürgens (2009)

This invaluable resource demystifies the complex, rapidly changing, and sometimes confusing world of digital print technologies. It describes the major digital printing processes used by photographers and artists over the past forty years, explaining and illustrating materials and their deterioration, methods of identification, and options for acquiring and preserving digital prints. A removable poster provides a ready reference for identifying specific processes and materials.

Available for purchase online from The Getty.
Print Unchained Print Unchained - Fifty Years of Digital Printing, 1950-2000 and Beyond: A Saga of Invention and Enterprise by Edward Webster   Print Unchained Print Unchained - Fifty Years of Digital Printing, 1950-2000 and Beyond: A Saga of Invention and Enterprise by Edward Webster (2001)

A thorough discussion of the history of digital printing technologies. This volume provides context for all of the digitally printed materials created in the last half century. It also includes a glossary and bibliography.

Available for purchase online from the Society of Imaging Science and Technology.
The Office Copying Revolution   The Office Copying Revolution: History, Identification, and Preservation by Ian Batterham (2008)

This history of office copying with all its invention and variation – from typewriters to laser printers – is an invaluable reference manual. It is a comprehensive history of office technology throughout the twentieth century, with detailed descriptions of the copies produced. Companies that made the equipment and copy products, as well as trade names, copying methods, papers, dyes, and stencils are all covered in this richly illustrated book with more than 400 images. The volume also includes an extensive print identification section.

Available for purchase online from the National Archives of Australia.
Handbook of Print Media by Helumt Kipphan   Handbook of Print Media by Helumt Kipphan (editor) (2001)

This is the comprehensive guide to both the traditional and the new digital printing technologies. This book covers in detail all aspects of the printing process from typography to print finishing. An accompanying CD-Rom enables the reader to perform a full text search within the entire book, and guides through the comprehensive texts and pictures.

Available for purchase online from the Society of Imaging Science and Technology.

Other Publications


Digital Imaging for Photographic Collections   Digital Imaging for Photographic Collections: Foundations for Technical Standards, Second Edition by Franziska S. Frey and James M. Reilly (2006)

While intended as a resource for libraries, archives, and museums who are considering digitization as a viable option for preserving deteriorating traditional photograph collections, this booklet will be useful to the producer or collector of digitally printed materials for its discussion of important issues related to image quality.

This publication is the result of research conducted by the Image Permanence Institute and funded by the National Endowment for the Humanities. All cited internet resources and references have been updated for the second edition.

Available for purchase online from the Image Permanence Institute.
The Stability of Photocopied and Laser-printed Documents and Images   The Stability of Photocopied and Laser-printed Documents and Images: General Guidelines by David Grattan

This bulletin reviews the technology of photocopiers and laser printers, and discusses the stability and preservation of copies. The conclusion is that black-and-white copies (i.e. those using carbon-based toner) on alkaline paper form very stable records, but color photocopies do not. The bulletin also includes a list of preservation concerns that will be useful to archivists responsible for the care of photocopied documents, and a number of current technical references that discuss the topic in more depth.

Available for purchase online from the Canadian Conservation Institute.
Storage Guide for Color Photographic Materials   The Storage Guide for Color Photographic Materials by James M. Reilly (1998)

This 48-page book with its accompanying wheel of environmental conditions provides an overview of the stability of traditional color photographic materials and explains how and why these images fade, why they need special storage, and what can be done to make them last as long as possible.

Available for purchase online from the Image Permanence Institute.
MSQR   IPI Media Storage Quick Reference, 2nd Edition by Peter Z. Adelstein (2009)

This two-part publication was created for today's collection care professionals, who must provide long-term, preservation-quality storage for a growing diversity of collection materials—often in a single storage area. The IPI Media Storage Quick Reference (MSQR) distills key preservation issues for still and motion picture film, glass plate negatives, magnetic tape, photographic paper prints, inkjet prints, CDs, and DVDs and helps the user better understand how the storage environment affects them, both individually and in mixed collections. The booklet's text, diagrams, and tables present the information in an easily accessible format. Side 1 of the wheel offers a medium-by-medium overview of preservation issues, recommendations, and guidance on the suitability of four typical storage environments (ROOM, COOL, COLD, and FROZEN); Side 2 is a guide to the types and dates of use of plastic supports commonly used for various film and magnetic tape media.

Available for purchase online from the Image Permanence Institute.