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As a nation, we are now engaged in presidential politics. However, it is interesting to point out that IPI has been involved in presidential matters for some time.
W.J. Clinton Presedential Library & Museum
After a president leaves office, it has been the tradition in this country to establish a presidential library. There are many such libraries that are in various locations, usually situated at the president's birthplace. These libraries contain not only artifacts that belonged to the individual but also historically important papers and photographs. The stability of these items is important to the preservation of our country's heritage. IPI's environmental monitoring tools are in use at numerous presidential libraries. IPI has worked closely with the National Archives & Records Administration for more than 20 years studying the environmental conditions in these libraries in order to insure their stability for future generations. |
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The 4th Edition of Focal Encyclopedia of Photography
Many individuals from RIT and the George Eastman House -authors, photographers, and image contributors- participated in the realization of this edition. Among them were two IPI research scientists, Peter Adelstein and Daniel Burge, who contributed articles to the Digital Photography and the Contemporary Issues sections. |
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Heads Up!
IPI Will be at PMA Instead of Memory Trends
As you know, this year Memory Trends (MT) and the Photo Marketing Association (PMA) tradeshows colocate at the Las Vegas Convention Center. Previously we had announced that IPI would have a booth at MT. In order to be closer to our sponsors, we have decided instead to set up shop at PMA.
 Visit us at booth B275 on the first floor of PMA.
January 31st - February 2nd
Las Vegas Convention Center
Las Vegas, Nevada
We hope to see you there! | |
A Brand New Standard for Photo-safe
ISO 18902 - Imaging Materials -Processed Imaging Materials - Albums, framing and Storage materials
The International Organization for Standardization (ISO) has just published an updated version of its ISO18902 document which deals with requirements for testing the quality of storage, display, and album products for traditional and digital photographs. The previous versions of the standard had been primarily targeted to museums and archives and not the manufacturers of consumer products. This new version of the standard includes updates specifically for digital photographs, consumer photography, and scrapbooking materials.
One of the most important additions is a definition for "photo-safe". Up until this point, this term has meant many different things to  different people. The new standard defines a product as photo-safe when it "meets the requirements of this International Standard so that it will not accelerate the natural ageing of photographic prints or films." In order to be photo-safe materials must meet a number of requirements detailed within the 18902 document, pass specific tests, and have properties specified in the document for such material types as paper and paper board, plastics, metal, adhesives, writing instruments, rubber stamp products, photo albums, and picture frames. However, just because a package is now labeled photo-safe, it doesn't mean that the manufacturer is abiding by the ISO definition. The package should state that the product "meets ISO 18902" or is "photo-safe as per ISO 18902." It should then have been tested and be in compliance with the all the requirements of the standard.
A second important revision is the inclusion of a definition for "acid-free". This term, too, has had  little consistent meaning in the marketplace. The new standard states that to be called acid-free a paper or adhesive must have a cold extraction pH between 7.0 ± 0.2 and 9.5 ± 0.2. The cold extraction method is a specific way of measuring pH that is more accurate than other methods some manufacturers have used. Now any purchaser of a product can ask, "Does this mean acid-free as defined by ISO 18902?"
While companies can work hard to manufacture high-quality materials, photos will always need to be stored safely and properly in order to last a long time. Storage environments with wide temperature swings, high temperatures, high humidity, airborne pollutants, or lots of light can negate any effort put into purchasing high-quality storage products.
To purchase copies of the standard go to www.iso.org and enter 18902 in the search box. |
Tips & Tricks
Preserving Your Very Old Photo Albums
 Never store these objects vertically, as the weight of the pages can damage the spine. Keep old albums flat in acid-free, lignin-free boxes. Interleaving with acid-free tissue can help prevent abrasion between pages. And finally, make sure to keep your albums in a cool, dry place.
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Term of the Month
Interleaving tissues/papers - sheets of buffered or non-buffered papers or tissues placed between prints, documents, or pages to reduce migration of harmful contaminants and prevent abrasion between objects.
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Link of the Month The Melbert B. Cary, JR. Graphic Arts Collection - at Rochester Institute of Technology
 The Cary Collection is a renown library on the history and practice of printing. The wealth of materials housed in the Cary collection has made it a prominent resource for those studying printing history, bookbinding, typography, papermaking, calligraphy, and book illustration processes. In addition to great materials, the library has a digital image database that allows people around the world to sample the collection.
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