ASTM D5398-97(2003)
(Practice)Standard Practice for Visual Evaluation of the Lightfastness of Art Materials by the User
Standard Practice for Visual Evaluation of the Lightfastness of Art Materials by the User
SCOPE
1.1 This practice covers a method for exposing specimens of colored art materials indoors to sunlight coming through a closed window. Any color change is compared to fading in a Blue Wool Reference and exposed simultaneously.
1.2 This practice shall only be used by individuals to select materials with satisfactory lightfastness for their own use or to identify materials that require special protection from light. When test information is to be communicated to others, Test Methods D 4303 or Practice D 5383 must be used.
1.3 This practice may be used to indicate art materials that will change color within a few months or years in normal indoor exposure and those that will remain unchanged for a period of years. It is not rigorous enough to verify that materials will remain unchanged for more than fifty years in a home or office environment. A major consideration in developing this method was to keep it simple and short enough to be performed without instrumentation in a comparatively short length of time.
1.4 This practice is not suitable for evaluating the lightfastness of materials with a high oil content such as artists' oil, resin-oil or alkyd paints.
1.5 The values stated in SI units are to be regarded as the standard. The values given in parentheses are for information only.
1.6 This standard does not purport to address all of the safety concerns, if any, associated with its use. It is the responsibility of the user of this standard to establish appropriate safety and health practices and determine the applicability of regulatory limitations prior to use.
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Standards Content (Sample)
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Designation:D5398–97(Reapproved2003)
Standard Practice for
Visual Evaluation of the Lightfastness of Art Materials by
the User
This standard is issued under the fixed designation D5398; the number immediately following the designation indicates the year of
original adoption or, in the case of revision, the year of last revision. A number in parentheses indicates the year of last reapproval. A
superscript epsilon (´) indicates an editorial change since the last revision or reapproval.
1. Scope 2. Referenced Documents
1.1 This practice covers a method for exposing specimens 2.1 ASTM Standards:
of colored art materials indoors to sunlight coming through a D4303 Test Methods for Lightfastness of Colorants Used in
closed window. Any color change is compared to fading in a Artists’ Materials
Blue Wool Reference and exposed simultaneously. D5383 Practice for Visual Determination of the Lightfast-
1.2 This practice shall only be used by individuals to select ness of Art Materials by Art Technologists
materials with satisfactory lightfastness for their own use or to E284 Terminology of Appearance
identify materials that require special protection from light. 2.2 Other Standards:
When test information is to be communicated to others, Test ISO/R 105-B Textiles Tests for Colour Fastness Part B:
Methods D4303 or Practice D5383 must be used. Colour Fastness to Light and Weathering
1.3 This practice may be used to indicate art materials that British Standards Institute (BSI) 1006 Group B Methods for
will change color within a few months or years in normal Colour Fastness of Textiles and Leathers
indoor exposure and those that will remain unchanged for a
3. Terminology
period of years. It is not rigorous enough to verify that
3.1 The definitions included in Terminology E284 are ap-
materials will remain unchanged for more than fifty years in a
home or office environment. A major consideration in devel- plicable to this practice.
3.2 Definitions of Terms Specific to This Standard:
oping this method was to keep it simple and short enough to be
performed without instrumentation in a comparatively short 3.2.1 bloom, n—a cloudy coating, sometimes appearing on
coloredpencildrawingsduetomigrationofwaxtothesurface,
length of time.
that can be made transparent by gentle polishing.
1.4 This practice is not suitable for evaluating the lightfast-
ness of materials with a high oil content such as artists’ oil, 3.2.2 fugitive color, n—colorant that changes color in a few
days or weeks, or that bleaches white in less than 18 months,
resin-oil or alkyd paints.
1.5 The values stated in SI units are to be regarded as the when exposed behind glass to sunlight.
3.2.3 glazing, n—the transparent glass or plastic sheet
standard. The values given in parentheses are for information
only. placed in front of a picture when it is framed.
3.2.4 substrate, n—the white, pH neutral paper or board on
1.6 This standard does not purport to address all of the
safety concerns, if any, associated with its use. It is the which the art materials are applied.
responsibility of the user of this standard to establish appro-
4. Summary of Practice
priate safety and health practices and determine the applica-
4.1 This practice employs as a control BlueWool Reference
bility of regulatory limitations prior to use.
3 from the series of eight Blue Wool References of known
lightfastness that were developed for use with ISO/R 105-B
1 5
This practice is under the jurisdiction of ASTM Committee D01 on Paint and
and BSI 1006 Group B .
Related Coatings, Materials, and Applications and is the direct responsibility of
Subcommittee D01.57 on Artist Paints and Related Materials.
Current edition approved May 10, 2003. Published June 2003. Originally For referenced ASTM standards, visit the ASTM website, www.astm.org, or
approved in 1993. Last previous edition approved in 1997 as D5398 – 97. DOI: contact ASTM Customer Service at service@astm.org. For Annual Book of ASTM
10.1520/D5398-97R03. Standards volume information, refer to the standard’s Document Summary page on
ISO Blue Wool Reference 3 is available from the Society of Dyers and the ASTM website.
Colourists, P.O. Box 244, Grattan Road, Radford, West Yorkshire, BD12 JB, ISO/R 105-B is available from American National Standards Institute (ANSI),
England, or as the third band from the top of the Textile Fading Card from Talas, 25 W. 43rd St., 4th Floor, New York, NY 10036, http://www.ansi.org.
Division of Technical Library Service, Inc., 213 West 35th St., New York, NY British Standard 1006 Group B is available from British Standards Institute
10001-1996. (BSI), 389 Chiswick High Rd., London W4 4AL, U.K., http://www.bsi-global.com.
Copyright © ASTM International, 100 Barr Harbor Drive, PO Box C700, West Conshohocken, PA 19428-2959, United States.
D5398–97 (2003)
4.2 Specimensaremadeofthecoloredmaterialstobetested strips. This cover shall be at least 32 mm (1 ⁄4 in.) wide and as
and placed on a backing board along with Blue Wool Refer- long as the backing panel. It is used to protect one half of each
ence #3 or a Blue Wool Reference Card containing all eight
art material specimen and one half of the BlueWool Reference
Blue Wool References. from light (see Fig. 1). The side of the cover that touches the
4.3 One half of each colored specimen and one half of the
art material specimens should be chemically inert to prevent
Blue Wool References are covered, shielding that half of the
interaction with, or migration of substances onto the test
specimens and references from light. The test specimens and
specimens.
reference are exposed to sunlight coming through a closed
6.6 Tape, to fasten the specimen support to the backing
window.
board and to fasten the specimen cover over the specimens and
4.4 The test is complete when Blue Wool Reference # 3
the Blue Wool Reference. Duct or electrical tape is suitable
fades a specific amount.
since it is designed to withstand heat.
4.5 The artist examines the test specimens and decides
6.6.1 Optional—Metal Clamps, To hold the cover more
which materials are suitable for use in his or her works of art.
tightly against the specimen. This will exclude light better,
NOTE 1—Depending on the test location, the time of year, and the
making a sharper edge between the exposed and unexposed
number of cloudy days, it will take from a few days to two months of
sections of the specimens. This will make visual determina-
exposure in a window facing south to reveal fugitive materials that will
tions easier.
either bleach white or radically change color in a few years when
6.7 Mask, shall be made of stiff paper with a slot, 6.4 by
displayed in a normal home environment. It will take from 4 to 18 months
1 5
of exposure to determine materials that will show, under normal room
41.3 mm ( ⁄4 by 1 ⁄8 in.), slightly smaller than the Blue Wool
conditions, various degrees of color change, and those that will remain
Reference(seeFig.2).Bothsidesofthemaskshallbeaneutral
unchanged for a long period of time.
grayapproximatelyMunsellValue6.5.Sideoneshallhavetwo
blue color chips attached above the slot. One blue chip shall be
5. Significance and Use
Munsell 7 PB 4/13, matching the unexposed Blue Wool
5.1 Artists have available to them a wide variety of art
Reference # 3. The second chip shall be Munsell 5 PB 6/4, the
materials such as markers, colored pencils, pastels, colored
color of the exposed half of BlueWool Reference # 3 when the
inks and airbrush colors. Many of these materials are manu-
test is complete. When the blue chips on Side 1 match the
factured for temporary artwork and may contain pigments and
exposed and unexposed halves of Blue Wool Reference 3, the
dyes that fade in a relatively short time. Product labels and
test is complete. The gray Side 2 is used to isolate a specimen
manufacturers’ literature do not always supply the information
when looking for a color change to prevent color changes in
necessary to distinguish products that are stable to light from
neighboring specimens from affecting the decision.
those that are not. This practice makes it possible for an artist
to check the lightfastness of coloring materials to be used in
works of art. It may also be used to test the lightfastness of
other types of colored materials.
6. Materials
6.1 Backing Panel, that is resistant to warping when placed
on its edge and exposed to light and heat passing through
window glass. Foam core board, particle board, hardboard, or
plywood are suitable.
6.2 Substrate, of stiff drawing paper or museum board that
is white, acid free (pH 7 to 9), and of medium weight, 33 to 64
kg(72to140lb).Dependingonthematerialbeingtested,apH
neutral foam core board may be suitable. It is desirable for the
surface of the substrate to be similar to that customarily used
with the materials being tested; however, it must be possible to
completely cover the substrate with an even coat of the colors.
Rough watercolor papers are not suitable.
6.3 Blue Wool Reference 3 , a horizontal band of blue wool
3 3
cloth, 9.5 mm ( ⁄8 in.) high and 44.5 mm (1 ⁄4 in.) wide, glued
toacard2.5by4.4cm(1by1 ⁄4in.).IftheTextileFadingCard
fromTalasisused,Reference3isthethirdbanddownfromthe
end of the card with the narrower margin and brighter blue
wool bands. Either card must be kept in complete darkness
until time for the test. It should be wrapped in an opaque
covering and stored in a drawer at normal room temperature.
6.4 Colored Art Materials, to be tested.
6.5 Specimen Cover, made from stiff material such as heavy
NOTE 1—1 in. = 25.4 mm (exact).
gage aluminum; stainless steel; stiff, opaque plastic; or wooden FIG. 1 Suggested Layout for Lightfastness Test Panel
D5398–97 (2003)
tape or clamps. Tape may need to be replaced during the
exposure period due to deterioration.
8. Procedure
8.1 Position the prepared panel in a window. In the northern
hemisphere, the window should face south or southwest if
possible. This will shorten the time required for completion of
the test. Tests will be completed sooner in the summer than in
the winter, and the alt
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