Any tips for cleaning dust off ink jet prints?

Terry Hart cpf

SGF, Supreme Grumble Framer
Joined
Sep 23, 2003
Posts
2,087
Loc
Excelsior, MN
I can't believe I haven't run into this problem before and now it's come up several times this week. My favorite tool for picking off stubborn dust particles is a kneaded rubber eraser. With reasonable care its always worked on even sensitive coated papers, even things like Cibachromes. It does not work on these photo quality inkjets, it leaves a little smudge. Anyone have any good tricks for dealing with this type of print?
 
In my experience, it depends a little on the paper surface and whether the dust “granule” imbedded itself before, during or after the print was generated.

If it was embedded before or during the ink jet process, removing it will leave a white “hole”, so there’s nothing much that can be done.

If it was embedded after, and the paper surface is a matte finish, I find a gentle sweep with a draftsman's brush will usually do it. Swiffers® leave more fibers than stuff they remove.

If the paper surface is glossy, I have been known to flick it off with an Xacto knife point using a magnifying glass. It helps to have a steady hand and a pure heart.
 
Kneaded erasers are full of unpleasant hydrocarbons and should not be used around works
of art. A small sable brush is the safest tool
for lifting dust from paper based items.

Hugh
 
Hugh, would you care to elaborate? Do you have info on the manufacturing process? They are of course made for use by artists on their works of art. It's always seemed a covenient way to lift off stubborn particles, the ones that don't want to brush off, without picking at them with a blade. I'm not talking about mushing a big wad of kneaded eraser onto the art but forming (a clean) one into a bit of a point and gently lifting the particle. Done this way I've never seen a hint of residue... until "photo quality" ink jet prints. Maybe that is what is reacting with the ink? Like I mentioned I've done this with a variety of photographic prints on rc type papers that tend to scratch when brushed and never had an apparent problem.
 
The material that comes out of kneaded erasers has
been observed, softening other rubber based items,
such as puffer bulbs, used to clean photos. The
only eraser that is preferred for use with works
on paper is white vinyl, but that is not adhesive
enough to do that kind of lifting. For particles
that are too firmly bonded to be lifted off with
a sable brush, one could cut a sliver of rag board
and touch its tip to the accretion and gently try
to push it off.

Hugh
 
As usual, thanks all. Been busy, busy (good news!). I'll be checking out that Tiger Cloth.
 
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