This International Standard specifies requirements and test methods for evaluation of the permanence and durability of writing, printing and copying on paper stored in libraries, archives and other protected environments for long periods of time.

It is applicable to

• images on paper with the exception of documents within the scope of ISO/TC 42, Photography;
• multicoloured images.

The information contents of multicoloured images should be retained but not necessarily the full artistic quality of the coloured image. Documents where the information contents are influenced by small colour changes are not covered by this International Standard.

It does not apply to

• documents stored under harmful conditions, such as high humidity that may promote microbiological attack, excessive heat, radiation (e.g. light), high levels of pollutants, or the influence of water. Since documents may be kept in non-protected environments before being transferred to protected environments, resistance to water and light is, however, of importance;
• legal documentation, e.g. banking documents, where the authenticity is of primary interest.