2 ms·
I'm assuming that they are using some kind of archival ink, but the real issue is how long the ink will last.
by michrassena 11y ago
I'm assuming that they are using some kind of archival ink, but the real issue is how long the ink will last.
- logfromblammo 11y agoI recall reading about recovering writing that had been effaced from a palimpsest and overwritten. The ink from the first writing had iron oxide in it as a pigment. This allowed the former text to be detected magnetically, even though it was no longer discernible to the eye. Carbon black and iron(ii,iii) oxide would certainly be very long-lasting pigments, and would likely remain legible until the substrate disintegrates. It's the color printing that is hard to preserve. Gold leaf, of course, lasts as long as the page. Organic dyes tend to fade over time and with exposure to heat, oxygen, and UV light, whereas inorganic pigments are more stable.