User:Jolssonwood

Fading refers to the diminishing of color or tones on items such as fabric, photographs and negatives, and other works on paper and wood. The damage is usually caused by excessive exposure to light.

File:FadingFabric.jpg

Comparison of undamaged and faded fabric

Related Terms

blanching, color shift, discoloration, light fastness

Synonyms in English

bleached, dim, vanish, washed out

Translation

English	fading
French	effacement
Spanish	descoloramiento
Portuguese	desvanecimento
Italian	sbiadisc
German	Verblassen
Russian	увядать
Arabic	ذبول

Discussion

Fading is a clear sign of damage to an object. It is not a uniform process; some dyes and materials fade faster than others. Fading also has a cumulative affect, where once fading has occurred it can not be undone Conn 2012. Thus, limiting the amount of light an object receives can help lessen the fading. The discussion in Conservation Concerns says that light in galleries should be kept at about 5-10 foot candles or 50-100 lux and should be evenly distributed Bachman 1992. Some museums are now using LEDs (light-emitting diodes) to minimize the damaging heat aspects of natural and artificial light. Other ways to minimize fading damage is to not display objects near windows and to limit the time an object is on display.

References

Bachman,K. ed. Conservation Concerns. Washington, DC: Smithsonian Institution.,1992

Conn, Donia. Northeast Document Conservation Center. "2.4 Protection from Light Damage". Revised 2012. Retrieved from: http://nedcc.org/free-resources/preservation-leaflets/2.-the-environment/2.4-protection-from-light-damage

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