A microfading survey of the lightfastness of blue, black and red ballpoint pen inks in ambient and modified environments

Abstract

The lightfastness of approximately 100 randomly selected red, black and blue inks was surveyed using the microfade technique. The inks’ responses were recorded at 55% and at 1% relative humidity (RH) in air, and in a low oxygen environment (<10 ppm O2) at 55% RH. Their light sensitivity in air was highly unpredictable, ranging from the detection limit of the technique to several times greater than the most fugitive ISO Blue Wool Fading Standard (BW1). With very few exceptions, the response of blue and black inks was markedly suppressed in anoxia, and the opposite was true of a significant proportion of red inks tested. The correlation between RH and light-sensitivity in air was weak, with highly variable responses in both directions. The results show that it is not possible to make useful display (light exposure) recommendations for ballpoint pen inks without prior fade-testing.