This project stemmed from a search for archival standards for records made
on polyester film. A progressive deterioration was noticed on some records
produced during the past 30 years. The damage included discoloration, blist
ering and flaking emulsion, bleeding images, and images transferred to adja
cent pages when records were stored together. To establish handling and sto
rage guidelines that would ensure longevity of records made on polyester fi
lm, the project sought a correlation between the ongoing damage and imaging
technique and between damage and environmental factors. In an attempt to u
nderstand the nature of the damage and the deterioration process, several h
undred records from the collection at the Maryland State Archives in Annapo
lis, Maryland, were examined. Selected samples representing various types o
f damage and imaging techniques underwent a variety of tests. The effects o
f exposure to extreme conditions, such as high relative humidity (99%), vis
ible light, and ultraviolet light, are discussed in this article. Although
there is substantial literature exploring the history and chemistry of the
specific reprographic technologies as well as the characteristics of polyes
ter film, there is no known published information devoted to imaging on pol
yester film. The experimental work presented in this article is a pilot pro
ject, indicating areas that require further in depth study.