A study of the durability of the inks serving to print contemporary graphic artwork

Graphic artwork offers tremendous potential for artistic expression. The processes associated with artistic production have been greatly influenced by technological developments over recent decades, particularly regarding printing materials and techniques. The current study examines the durability of graphic artwork produced by contemporary media and printing materials by means of the analysis of a variety of inks. The study focuses on three techniques (offset, inkjet and laser printing) and identifies the elements that can lead the printed image to fade or suffer from alterations. This paper presents the main findings of the analyses and contributes to a better understanding of printing materials and techniques. Furthermore, this study paves the way for new research addressing the challenges of stability, conservation and durability of printed graphic artwork and identifies the better printing processes to apply in each case.