Digital BW, The Print

I went and looked at this product at the site you mention below.  Quite 
interesting.  I copied a portion of the ad:

> One application instantly neutralizes acid by raising the paper's pH 
> level, preventing brittleness and deterioration.

So, this is operating by putting an alkaline material into the paper.  
Neutralization occurs of the current acid radicals.  Perhaps there is 
some residual alkalinity to act as a future buffer.  However, the 
underlying cause of acidity in the paper remains and in time will 
produce more, eventually overcoming the buffering abilities of this 
spray.  Therefore a respray will be needed if you could figure out when 
to do it and still had access to the paper.

We call this process buffering and it is not the way to go for 
permanence.  However, it will prolong the print/paper life.  If this is 
all you need then maybe it will work for you.

I think this product's widest appeal will be for those trying to 
preserve things like newsprint and lignin containing book papers.  I 
don't think that this product works like the old Wei'To sprays we used 
to be able to get.  That family of sprays and liquid deacidifiers 
actually left a strong amount of buffering materials in the paper.

But this is an interesting product and I would like to find out more 
about it.  Perhaps to Krylon will I go!

Mark MacKenzie


John Broski wrote:

> Hello All,
>
> While buying matting supplies online at Dick Blick (excellent prices 
> and service, BTW), I stumbled on a Krylon spray product which claims 
> to de-acidify anything on which it's sprayed.  Hmmm... maybe this 
> would make cheap Epson Photo Paper more archival?  Comments, Paul?
>
> See it here: 
> http://www.dickblick.com/zz128/96/products.asp?param=0&ig_id=4427 
> <http://www.dickblick.com/zz128/96/products.asp?param=0&ig_id=4427>
>
> [Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
>
-- 
Mark MacKenzie, M.A.C.
Art Conservator/
Past Ink Publishing
1628 Sommerfeld Ave.
Saskatoon, Sask.
S7H 2S6

email: mmackenzie(at)digitalheritage.ca
         mmackenzie(at)pastink.com