Permanency of Reprographic Images on Polyester Film

Abstract This project stemmed from a search for archival standards for records made on polyester film. A progressive deterioration was noticed on some records produced during the past 30 years. The damage included discoloration, blistering and flaking emulsion, bleeding images, and images transferred to adjacent pages when records were stored together. To establish handling and storage guidelines that would ensure longevity of records made on polyester film, the project sought a correlation between the ongoing damage and imaging technique and between damage and environmental factors. In an attempt to understand the nature of the damage and the deterioration process, several hundred records from the collection at the Maryland State Archives in Annapolis, Maryland, were examined. Selected samples representing various types of damage and imaging techniques underwent a variety of tests. The effects of exposure to extreme conditions, such as high relative humidity (99%), visible light, and ultraviolet light, are discussed in this article. Although there is substantial literature exploring the history and chemistry of the specific reprographic technologies as well as the characteristics of polyester film, there is no known published information devoted to imaging on polyester film. The experimental work presented in this article is a pilot project, indicating areas that require further in depth study.