Vincent Laudato Beltran, Christel Pesme, Sarah K. Freeman, and Mark Benson, 2021

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Microfading Tester: Light Sensitivity Assessment and Role in Lighting Policy, addresses the need for didactic material on the use of the microfading tester (MFT) in the cultural heritage field, with chapters on color science, MFT basics and practice, and lighting policy. It seeks to establish a baseline of knowledge for prospective and current MFT users, as well as stakeholders involved in lighting policy; reflect the range of current MFT practice with respect to operation, data collection, and interpretation; and promote regional and global dialogue about MFT practice to foster a self-supporting user community.

About the Microfading Tester

The microfading tester (MFT) is an analytical technique used to determine an object’s light sensitivity. Introduced to the cultural heritage field by Paul M. Whitmore, Xun Pan, and Catherine Bailie in 1999, MFT rapidly induces and monitors color change by exposing the sample surface to a high-intensity, stable, and focused light spot and simultaneously examining the affected area using a spectrophotometer. The predictive information provided by MFT can reshape lighting policy through the lens of risk management.

Though accepted as a key preventive conservation tool, there remain obstacles to the more widespread use of MFT. Instrumental support and training from the commercial sector was limited due to the emergence of MFT from within the conservation field. Individual MFT users also began investigating various adaptations from the original design, but the absence of an organized community of MFT users hampered communication about these developments.

The Getty Conservation Institute has sought to support and advance MFT practice, hosting an MFT experts meeting in 2018 and developing collaborative MFT training workshops in 2019.

How to Cite this Work
Beltran, Vincent Laudato, Christel Pesme, Sarah K. Freeman, and Mark Benson. 2021. Microfading Tester: Light Sensitivity Assessment and Role in Lighting Policy. Guidelines. Los Angeles: Getty Conservation Institute. http://hdl.handle.net/10020/gci_pubs_microfading_tester.