Abstract
Drawings and writings composed with iron gall inks frequently undergo colour changes which range from shifts in hue to extreme fading. Artificial ageing tests were carried out on 10 reference iron gall inks of different iron sulphate/gallic acid ratios applied on two different types of paper. Each ink application was subjected to the following three artificial ageing procedures: humid oven ageing, light ageing, and a combination of humid oven ageing and subsequent light ageing. Colour changes in samples were determined by quantitative colour measurements with a reflected light spectrophotometer before, during and after the artificial ageing tests. Comparison of the results indicated that the test inks are indeed light sensitive and even fall into the fugitive category. Recommendations for the exhibition of objects containing iron gall inks are proposed.
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