7 CAUTIONS

WHILE THE USE OF of a fading monitor or the direct monitoring of an original color print will give an accurate indication of dye fading and stain formation, it may or may not indicate the physical deterioration which can occur in a color print. Examples of physical deterioration include cracking of the top polyethylene and emulsion layers of resin-coated (RC) prints, cracking of emulsions on fiber-base prints, and internal image-receiving layer cracking or the formation of small “snowflakes” in Polaroid SX-70 prints. Retouching and corrective “dust spotting” may produce irregular fading or staining such as the orange discolorations sometimes seen on Kodak Ektacolor RC prints. All prints should be carefully examined on a regular basis so that any physical defects or other irregularities can be documented and photographed for future reference.19