The DP3 Project

The DP3 Project: the Digital Print Preservation Portal consists of two lines of research that will examine the preservation of digital prints. One has been funded by a $606,000 grant from the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation, which will make possible an in-depth investigation of the stability of digitally printed materials when they are exposed to light, airborne pollutants, heat, and humidity. The other, supported by a grant of $314,215 from the Institute of Museum and Library Services, will be a study of the potentially harmful effects of enclosures and physical handling on digital prints, as well as their vulnerability to damage due to flood.

Because images produced by new digital print technologies are entering the collections of local, state, and national institutions at an increasing rate, IPI wants to help collections staff understand and better care for them. The project will provide libraries, archives, and individual scholars with new information regarding the permanence and care of prints created using modern digital output technologies. A new web site (www.dp3project.org) will have project results; information and tools to aid in identifying digital prints and in understanding their chemical and physical nature; recommendations for storage, display, and handling; and guidance in assessing the risk of flood damage.