Technical Log Reflective Professional Development Journal
Introduction
Paper making started in the early stages of development where China took the initiative to introduce paper in the world. Paper making was an achievement made to replace traditional form of printing which was in the form of stones or tablets. However, the paper making industry grew to other parts of the world as every country grew the urge of embracing the new development. Therefore, the emergence of paper making and the use of paper in writing and art developed a need for preserving the less-durable prints from harm and other forms of degradation. Paper preservation involves different methods that help in retaining the nature and value of paper artefacts. For example, paper preservation includes the processes of paper washing, humidification, resizing, and paper storage hence; this paper focuses in articulating the different topics involved in the paper industry.
Paper preservation
The preservation of paper or an artefact involves different procedures that would help to reduce the deterioration of papers by enhancing preservation. Conservation is designing a planned procedure that would conserve or protect ancient or traditional artefacts from damage and ensure such commodities could stay for the longest time possible. One of the characteristics of an ageing paper is the change of its colour. Yellowing is considered a threat to the life of an artefact hence; paper conservators should consider preservation techniques in minimizing the chances of generating a yellow colour. Yellowing may be caused by the nature of the paper or the storage conditions of the paper. Furthermore, yellowing is always followed by the changing of yellow colour to brown. The change from yellow to brown is attributed to the presence of chromophores in the paper. Chromophores are agents of paper degradation as discussed by Carter (1996) and he ascertains that bleaching is the best method used to minimize yellowing of paper in the paper preservation management.
Paper preservation begins with an understanding of the components of an artefact. An artefact or paper is composed of cellulose, starch, pigments, and other lignin. Oxidation or rusting of the paper is affected by the reactions of the available paper components with other chemicals such as moisture, heat, actions, and pollutant gases. Therefore, an analysis is needed to discuss the nature of art that would compromise the preservation or conservation process. For instance, the conservators are responsible for understanding that oxidation initiates the process of discoloration. A paper losing its colouring components could be brought by the formation of cellulose chromophores that initiates ageing due to the presence of carbon atoms. Similarly, hemicellulose chromophores could be another component that accelerates the yellowing of paper. Oxidation frequently occurs in hemicellulose than in any other paper component. Therefore, the oxidation of the hemicellulose chromophores forms a group of aldehyde carbon atoms that are agents of the yellowing of an artefact (Carter 1996). Furthermore, bleaching of paper is a conservation process that helps in reducing the chances of yellowing or discoloration. Bleaching involves the treatment or removal of chromophores in a paper in an effort or preservation of the paper. Therefore, bleaching should be analyzed before commencing as it is believed to contain negative results such as removal of coloured inks. Chemical bleaching is only required after a paper have been washed with other chemical agents.
Paper Washing
Paper washing is the process of removing unwanted materials and particles from the piece of paper or the artefact used. For instance, washing of paper helps in stabilizing the components of cellulose in minimizing the risks of oxidation. Similarly, water is used in washing the paper because of its solubility which absorbs every unwanted component in a paper. Water carries the soluble components out of the paper making it durable and reducing oxidation. There are various procedures involved in washing papers or artefacts depending on the nature of the paper (Van et al. 2011). For instance, several procedures use magnesium salts because of their solubility in water. Other techniques involved in the washing of papers includes immersion washing, float washing, gore-tex washing, brush wetting, blotter washing, and much more. The processes differ with the soluble components used in washing the paper.
Washing of paper involves an analysis of several factors before deciding the suitable process that would not interfere with the nature of the artefact. For instance, one must understand the philosophical issues involved with the paper being washed. Additionally, the conservators must test the paper by using a spot testing to ascertain the effects of washing with the selected procedure before commencing the process to the entire paper (Van et al. 2011). Therefore, the factors would determine the best procedure to use in the washing process thus; indicating the value of the paper or the artefact.
The processes involved in washing the paper would differ with the procedures, steps and chemicals involved. For instance, immersion of paper is the wetting of an entire paper into the water. The paper could be severely damaged or acidified thus the need for an overall washing would accommodate the use of immersion process. Immersion is only viable when the paper is highly acidified. It helps in softening, removing unwanted attachments, and retaining the colour of the paper (Lienardy and Van-Damme 1990). Similarly, float washing is basically to float the essential piece of paper on top of a water solution with the help of air-pockets. Air-pockets help in buoyancy because the paper is required to be on top of the water used. Another procedure known as blotter washing is similar to the float washing despite that blotter washing is useful to papers that are torn and sensitive to water. Gore-Tex is a process that involves the moisture or vapour (Lienardy and Van-Damme 1990). A paper being washed is placed on top of the water that has moisture and with the help of the Gora-Tex the amount of vapour passing through the object thus; helping with the discoloration.
Humidification of Paper
Ancient and traditional artefacts such as papers have the tendency of folding or acquiring components that result to the drying of the object. For instance, a paper may be folded and kept for a long time thus; the process of unfolding the paper could break the entire picture or the paper. Therefore, the preservation process would involve introducing moisture in the form of humidity towards the artefact that would help ease the hardness thus; prolonging its life (Ogino, Kopotic and Mannino 1985). Reasons behind humidification may include the need for flexibility and brittleness of paper. Similarly, humidification is encouraged when a document is required in a fallen nature. Therefore, the conservators would analyze the nature of the paper before commencing the process of humidification. However, some factors should be considered before exposing the paper towards humidity or moisture. For example, some papers would change their worth after being exposed to water of moisture. Similarly, photographs may lose colour after being in contact with water.
The methods used in humidification may differ depending on the nature of the paper. One of the methods used is the use of Gore-Tex laminate that helps in passing water through it as vapour. The component “Gore-Tex” is fused with polyester with a dense material (Decoux 2002). Therefore, the piece of the folded paper is placed between the Gora-Tex laminate, the polyester, and the damp blotter hence; commencing the process of humidification. The damp blotter should be wetted as many times as possible paving the way for the Gora-Tex laminate to absorb the moisture escaping from the blotter. The moisturized paper should unfold slowly through the process until the entire paper is wetted and unfolds easily.
Additionally, humidification may be done through the use of a chamber. The chamber is a simple mechanical set of apparatus that can be locally made easily. It only requires a plastic container, water, towel, light diffusing panel, and some weight. Therefore, the towel is placed on top of the water plastic container and the diffusion panel on top of the towel. The folded paper is then placed on top of the diffusion panel for a minimum of ten minutes to help it absorb the required amount of moisture (Decoux 2002). Lastly, the item is ready to be unfolded with care to avoid the breakage f tearing the pieces apart. Humidification is useful because of its simplicity in retaining the shape of paper. The last part of the process is drying and flattening which is simply the use of blotters and weights to compress the document between the blotters hence; enhancing the flattening and drying of the paper.
Paper Making
Paper and printing materials are made of pulpwood or any other materials suitable for processing papers. The process was invented in China due to the rise in the need for writing materials. The process was later distributed to other parts of the Europe. Papers could be made locally or homemade, industrial, or handmade. Therefore, it depends on nature or the use of the paper being manufactured (Messner and Srebotnik 1994). The process of making papers from pulpwood differs depending on the nature of production. For instance, the industrial manufacture of paper involves the use of long and large amounts of pulps which are compressed and broken down individually to obtain the fibres needed in the processing and making of papers.
The process of paper making starts from the forest where the raw materials for making papers which are trees are prepared and presented to the paper-making industries. Subsequently, the obtained trees from the forest are passed through debarking machines that removes the bark of the tree and the rough parts of the tree (Zhi, Chan and Minns 2005). The debarking machine also helps in cutting the pulp logs into a one-inch size that is used in making the paper. The pieces obtained from the debarking process are cleaned and washed in a high-pressure chamber. The chamber helps in refining, bleaching, and cleaning of the papers manufactured with chemicals that could help in preserving the papers. Therefore, preservation and conservation of papers start from the manufacturing stage.
Different types of paper-making processes have been discussed but do not entail any uniqueness in the paper industry. For instance, the mould-made paper making process explains the process of a manufacture of a single paper. The process would be viable but would not account for the expenses used. Looking at economic nature of the process, not many manufacturing companies would utilize the process. Therefore, the machine-made paper making procedure is the only usable and viable procedure in the paper making industry.
Print Identification
Prints and paper artefacts are named as the most important history-telling components that require maximum protection regarding conservation and preservation of papers. However, the protection of paper and print artefacts may differ while some may require caution and necessary protection that would not interfere with the durability of paper. Therefore, the identification of a print could be useful to the conservators in an effort of analyzing a print before deciding the reliable method to preserve the paper artefact. Therefore, the available methods used in identifying prints include relief printing, intaglio printing, and planographic printing (Oujja et al. 2005).
Relief printing involves the traditional process of identifying the paper prints where a piece of wood is carved hence; raising the areas to be inked. The area is covered by applying ink all over the part, and then another paper is used to cover the page through the application of pressure towards the print. A good example is the wood block printing or typesetting. The second method of identifying a print known as intaglio involves applying an ink drawing on a surface of an object then applying adequate pressure in transferring the ink to the indents of the page (Oujja et al. 2005). The process would involve engraving and etching. Engraving involves the process of utilizing copper plates and a V-shaped cutting tool. The cutting tool is used to remove metal slivers on the surface of a print hence; leaving engraved lines clean and pointed at each other. Additionally, etching process involves the use of acid to digest the wax on top of the copper plate. Therefore, the etching lines are precise to note because they have uneven wax.
Planographic is a process of identifying a print in where an image is drawn on a greasy or oily surface. Subsequently, the other plate is washed in the parts without ink. The process may include chromolithography, tinted lithography, chalk-manner lithography, and transfer lithography. Therefore, the process would be followed by analyzing magnifying the image in search of a proof of the chromography components (Kuhfuss and De-La-Rue 1988). Additionally, the print examiner should check for the presence or absence of plate marks in print. The absence of plate marks means that the print is a lithograph. The next step involves checking the flatness of the print as well as checking for shade or illusion. The blurriness of a print should ascertain the availability of lithograph hence; ascertaining of the print.
Resizing of Paper
Sizing or resizing is the process of protecting a paper or print from damage as well as enhancing durability and conservation. There are two types of resizing which include internal and external resizing. Internal resizing involves the process of adding conservative ingredients in the pulp manufacturing while the external resizing includes simple chemical treatment of a specific paper (Ardelean et al. 2007). The external process of resizing may use the emulsion procedure in commencing the process. Therefore, the process uses water resistant chemicals such as a styrene-based hydrophobic polymer. The chemical is helpful in providing water resistance components thus; increasing the durability and conservation process of the print.
The procedure of resizing started in the early traditional era after the emergence of paper-making procedures. The ancient method of internal resizing involved the boiling of animal materials with water to obtain gelatin as one of the agents of resizing in the ancient chemistry in paper preservation (Park and Park 2004). Therefore, the process of sizing or resizing was done simply to the internal resizing which provided a good condition towards the preservation and conservation of the papers or prints.
Conclusion
Paper conservation and paper preservation were one of the ideas brought to the light in an effort of preventing the extinction of historical evidence and ancient art. Therefore, paper and print conservation would have been better if they incorporated the use of current technology in determining the life of a paper artefact. Similarly, paper making in the current world is different from the traditional paper making industry where current methods do not last as compared to the ancient methods. For instance, the ancient paper artefacts are durable when compared to the current papers and prints. The traditional methods used in preserving and conserving the paper artefacts were more or less dependable than the current methods thus; making the modern prints less durable.
References
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