Tracking Color Shift in Ballpoint Pen Ink Using Photoshop Assisted Spectroscopy: A Nondestructive Technique Developed to Rehouse a Nobel Laureate's Manuscript.

Many historically and culturally significant documents from the mid-to-late twentieth century were written in ballpoint pen inks, which contain light-sensitive dyes that present problems for collection custodians and paper conservators. The conservation staff at the National Library of Medicine (NLM), National Institutes of Health, conducted a multiphase project on the chemistry and aging of ballpoint pen ink that culminated in the development of a new method to detect aging of ballpoint pen ink while examining a variety of storage environments. NLM staff determined that ballpoint pen ink color shift can be detected noninvasively using image editing software. Instructions are provided on how to detect color shift in digitized materials using a technique developed specifically for this project-Photoshop Assisted Spectroscopy.1 The study results offer collection custodians storage options for historic documents containing ballpoint pen ink.