Posted by Gary G. on April 30, 1997 at 13:24:25:
In Reply to: Toning posted by Paul Sia on April 28, 1997 at 22:40:26:
: I'm interested in knowing how toning happens on a print.
: When a print is toned, is this somehow related to a
: chemical imbalance with the paper itself, or is it environmental?
Hi Paul,
I can not answer your question as a scientist or chemist,
but I know that Japanese prints do not deteriorate on their
own. The materials used were stable and without our
intervention, would last forever. The browning of the print
paper and dulling of the color, I have found, is a reaction
to poor storage, framing and exposure to ultraviolet light.
Evidently, acids are used to separate the pulp used to make
paper from wood stock and remain in the paper causing it to
deteriorate, becoming brown and brittle over time. If a print
is attached to or stored against such paper, the acids will act on
it too. Most available framing materials were acidic up until
about 25 years ago or so. Unprotected exposure to ultraviolet
light will cause a similar effect while fading the color.
The vast majority of remaining Japanese prints have suffered from poor framing,
exposure to UV light and poor storage. The few that survive in
good condition are the rare ones that you and I strive to collect.
Every year, fewer of them become available. I am offered alot of prints,
but I buy only a very small fraction, mostly because of condition.
Since the toning is a reactive process, you can remove the print from that
destructive environment and with proper care it will remain stable. I would
be interested in the opinion of a paper conservator, if one frequents "CHATS".