Valuable prints to last for generations - Great aging-test results for Hahnemühle FineArt media

07/09/10

Just in time for the 2010 Photokina, new longevity tests for Hahnemühle papers and canvases have been completed. With immediate effect, the test results for the Digital FineArt Collection and the product line ‘HARMAN by Hahnemühle' are available to every customer. The results give photographers, artists and print-service providers information on the respective Hahnemühle product's longevity.

The tests that have recently been completed had commenced in 2008 at two renowned institutes: Wilhelm Imaging Research in the USA and LNE (Laboratoire national de métrologie et d´essais) in France. The aging resistance in different exposure and filing conditions was determined by way of extensive simulations. For a picture that is exposed to daylight for a long time, the test will be executed as follows: the paper imprinted with high-quality pigment ink is framed behind glass and then exposed to a special source of light for up to 1800 hours. The testers examine the prints at regular intervals and keep record of potential alterations. The exact total amount of light energy the picture has to cope with is known, with the period of time this amount of energy would be achieved in under normal circumstances being projected. So, time-lapse testing offers the chance of finding out how long the print would survive without visible alterations.

Bärbel Manggold, Hahnemühle Product Manager, explains: "According to the respective testing conditions, our media are certified a lifespan of more than 200 years. The results emphasize our standard to supply top quality, as the market leader."

Hahnemühle recommends protecting fine art inkjet prints from environmental stresses and advise on the importance of using acid-free materials for the processing - such as framing, gluing and coating. This helps to avoid alterations by chemical materials.

All the test results and testing conditions can be found at the websites www.hahnemuehle.com (Digital FineArt Collection) and www.hahnemuehle.com/harmanbyhahnemuehle (HARMAN Professional Inkjet by Hahnemühle).

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