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<p>The preservation of written documents is compromised by ink stability issues, particularly as most modern inks exhibit poor lightfastness. This study evaluated over 100 blue and black fountain pen inks under representative museum lighting using a 3000 K LED. Most were highly sensitive (Blue Wool 1–3), with document-type and pigmented inks as notable exceptions. Document inks exceeded existing test standards, with most showing no noticeable colour change even after 100 Mlx·h exposure—equivalent to more than 100 years at 250 lx, 10 h/d, year-round. pH measurements indicated that document inks were primarily neutral to alkaline, contrasting with the broader, often acidic, range of general-purpose inks. Analysis of residual colour stability established thresholds where faded inks transitioned to greater fastness, enabling more informed display decisions for previously exposed documents. The findings provide guidance for selecting stable inks, and assessing fastness of existing materials when microfade testing is not available.</p>

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The lightfastness of modern fountain pen inks: ink selection and consequences for document preservation

  • 期刊论文

  • 出版模式：

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  • 发表日期：

    2025年7月23日

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  • Eric Hagan,
  • Crystal Maitland

摘要

The preservation of written documents is compromised by ink stability issues, particularly as most modern inks exhibit poor lightfastness. This study evaluated over 100 blue and black fountain pen inks under representative museum lighting using a 3000 K LED. Most were highly sensitive (Blue Wool 1–3), with document-type and pigmented inks as notable exceptions. Document inks exceeded existing test standards, with most showing no noticeable colour change even after 100 Mlx·h exposure—equivalent to more than 100 years at 250 lx, 10 h/d, year-round. pH measurements indicated that document inks were primarily neutral to alkaline, contrasting with the broader, often acidic, range of general-purpose inks. Analysis of residual colour stability established thresholds where faded inks transitioned to greater fastness, enabling more informed display decisions for previously exposed documents. The findings provide guidance for selecting stable inks, and assessing fastness of existing materials when microfade testing is not available.