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Outgassing Tip from “301 Inkjet Tips and Techniques”
From “301 Inkjet Tips and Techniques” Tip #219 (Chapter 7) by Linda LaSala
Outgassing is a problem that can occur with glossy and semi-gloss prints made on inkjet printers. If you place a newly made print (or one that has not been properly treated), under plastic or glass, and then expose the glass to bright light (especially the sun), it is very possible that a subtle “fogging,” due to the outgassing of glycols that are necessary to keep the inks in a fluid state, will appear on the glass or plastic in the areas where the ink appears. The fogging will generally go away when brought out of the light, but will later reappear if re-exposed.
To reduce this potential problem, I recommend interleaving your glossy and semigloss prints with an absorbent paper, which helps to release the glycols. I primarily use Lineco Inc.’s Unbuffered Acid-Free Interleaving Sheets, which are available up to 30 × 40 inches (L14.6). In the past, I’ve used plain paper (copy paper), or even newsprint, but I’m concerned with the potentially damaging effects of acid migration, so I recommend using only acid-free materials. I had a large paper drawer custom made (42 × 29 × 7 inches tall) to hold and protect stacks of prints. Prints can also be stacked up on a table with interleaving sheets between them, or placed in flat file drawers or a darkroom drying rack.
I try to allow prints to sit in the drawer for at least a week before framing, and I have not noticed, nor have I had any complaints thus far of, any outgassing problems from galleries or collectors. A week is not always feasible, so you may want to replace the interleaving sheets every few hours to expedite the process. You can also do a test by placing a print in a clear bag, such as the ones sold by Impact Images. Then place it in the sun for a few minutes to see if it produces the fogging effect.
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