Digital BW, The Print

shashinka@... wrote:

> <snip>  I really like the Epson Watercolor paper, over the
> brightcube sheets, mainly for its ability to punch up color from Generation
> inks.  Have you seen any yellowing of the paper base over the last 6 months
> or so?  I wonder if exposure to air is the main culprit in most paper's
> shift.

The yellowing is the instability of the optical brighteners.  It is not exposure to air, but rather light that
causes the problem.  The very act of brightening causes the degradation.

There are very few papers that do not contain optical brighteners. Those which don't are a more 'creamy' white
than bright white in color.  The only way to get a bright white paper is by using OBs, but then there is the
instability probelm.

> Don't people have comic books over 50 years old in pristine
> condition, only protected by some plastic?

Unless the comics have been treated with a buffering agent, they will yellow, whether protected in plastic or
kept in the dark...Comic book paper is almost the same as newsprint, filled with acids that causes the
brittleness and yellowing.

Harvey Ferdschneider
partner, SKID Photography, NYC


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