Ink Degradation Models
How different framing glass compositions affect the half-life of standard ballpoint and felt-tip inks over decades.
The Physics of Fading
Signatures fade because the molecular bonds of the chromophores (the color-producing molecules in ink) are broken by high-energy photons—primarily Ultraviolet (UV) light.
When a collector frames a valuable document and hangs it in a sunlit room without adequate UV protection, they are actively destroying the asset.
Formulation Vulnerabilities
| Ink Type | Base Composition | UV Resistance |
|---|---|---|
| Felt-Tip (Sharpie) | Dye + Alcohol Solvent | Extremely Low |
| Ballpoint | Dye + Oil Paste | Moderate |
| Fountain Pen | Water-based Dye | Low |
| Iron Gall | Iron Salts + Tannic Acid | Very High |
Cryptographic Implications
Because our spectral scanners rely on the physical presence of ink to generate a cryptographic hash, severe fading can alter the hash.
If an item fades beyond the 99.8% match tolerance threshold, it will fail verification. This is a feature, not a bug. If an asset is significantly physically altered from its original registered state, it is no longer the same asset.