I am a paper conservator who also does digital surrogate (facsimile)
creation.  Many clients have found that modest conservation of the
artifact, to deal with all the physical problems such as large tears and
pressures sensitive tape, followed by creation of a facsimile to be an
effective preservation process.  The original is cared for correctly by
a professional throughout the entire process, and, only the surrogate is
exposed to the harsh display environment.  In fact, I am routinely asked
to perform digital restoration on the digital capture to correct for
major losses and stains, while still keeping the look of a
well-cared-for historic artifact.

The trick to creating an excellent facsimile is capturing the texture of
the artifact in the photograph, or scan, using the appropriate lighting
setup.  I print using one of the most stable and lightfast digital
inksets available today, which also has a wide color-gamut and low
metamerism (changing color under different illuminates).  Epson's
Ultrachrome inks have 60-100 year life (depending on paper type) when
displayed at the upper end of light levels recommended for paintings:
450 lux.  That is, the 450 lux, 12 hours a day, 365 days a year (2
Mlux-hours per year), for 60-100 years continually.  [Most works on
paper are assumed to have a life of about 10 Mlux-hours.]

Harsh environments will eventually take their toll on any paper-base
printed material.  I have done several surrogates for a Massachusetts
historic house that are in rooms that connect directly to a porch that
has year round exposure to the elements.  They have survived one winter,
and are counting.  When they do fail, all the institution has to do is
request another facsimile from the same digital file, which will never
change, fade or go bad.

Tim Vitale
Paper, Photography and Electronic
Media Conservator
Preservation Associates
1500 Park Ave.
Suite 132
Emeryville, CA 94608
510-594-8277

=========================================================
Important Subscriber Information:

The Museum-L FAQ file is located at http://www.finalchapter.com/museum-l-faq/ . You may obtain detailed information about the listserv commands by sending a one line e-mail message to [log in to unmask] . The body of the message should read "help" (without the quotes).

If you decide to leave Museum-L, please send a one line e-mail message to [log in to unmask] . The body of the message should read "Signoff Museum-L" (without the quotes).