The process name on the label is only half the record. IPI recommends cold storage for inkjet prints, rates ordinary room-temperature storage as likely to cause significant damage to inkjet, and treats pigment inkjet surfaces — especially on soft fine-art papers — as extremely sensitive to abrasion: do not stack prints directly, and do not roll them. This is a care companion to Inkjet, not giclée, not a second "say inkjet" essay, and not a shop manual.
Image Permanence Institute, IPI's Guide to: Preservation of Digitally-Printed Images (©2018 Image Permanence Institute, at Rochester Institute of Technology). "IPI recommends cold storage for inkjet prints. Dye sublimation and electrophotographic prints can be stored at room conditions." The guide's storage table uses four categories, with an RH range of 30%–55% "recommended for all storage categories." Anchor points in the table: ROOM 68°F / 20°C; COOL 54°F / 12°C; COLD 40°F / 4°C; FROZEN below 32°F / 0°C.
For inkjet, the qualitative ratings in that table are: ROOM "No" ("Likely to cause significant damage"); COOL "Fair" ("Does not meet recommendations but may be satisfactory for extended periods"); COLD "Good" ("Meets minimum recommendations"); FROZEN "Very Good" ("Exceeds minimum recommendations"). "Even though some print types are satisfactory at room temperature, the best conditions for all materials stored together will be cold or frozen." "Note that ‘room conditions’ does not imply human comfort levels or uncontrolled conditions but rather controlled temperatures between 65°-70° F and 30%-55% RH." "The recommendations for inkjet provided here supersede those in the MSQR as that publication was created before the current digital print preservation research at IPI." COLD and FROZEN are not flattened into one invented temperature, and "Fair" is not treated as a recommendation.
Handling, in the same guide. "Pigment inkjet prints, especially on soft, fine-art papers, can be extremely sensitive to abrasion and scratches. Prints should not be stacked directly on top of each other." "Interleaving materials, such as plastic films, should be very smooth. Even high-quality interleaving papers can cause colorant smear or polishing/burnishing of an image." "Prints should also not be rolled, as this stresses the image receiver layer and puts the print’s inked surface in direct contact with the paper’s verso, which can result in abrasion." "Additionally, prints should always be allowed to fully dry post-printing before interleaving and/or stacking to prevent spotting, ferrotyping, or blocking." Elsewhere: "only smooth plastic films, such as polyester sheeting, should be used in contact with print surfaces. The optimal approach is to not allow any material to contact a print’s surface. This can be achieved by using window mats to keep objects separated while stacked. This may not be possible for extremely large prints, in which case smooth plastic interleaving and extreme care should be used."
What the table and the handling notes actually say
Cold storage is the recommendation for inkjet. ROOM at 68°F / 20°C is "No" for inkjet — likely to cause significant damage. COLD at 40°F / 4°C is "Good." FROZEN is "Very Good." Relative humidity of 30%–55% applies in every category. "Room conditions," in this guide, means a controlled 65°–70°F and 30%–55% RH, not an unmanaged room. When mixed collections are stored together, IPI prefers cold or frozen.
On handling: no direct stacking; no rolling; dry first; prefer no contact, or window mats; if contact is unavoidable, smooth polyester, not even high-quality interleaving paper.
A process record can include how the print is stored and handled. This page does not recommend a house paper, ink, freezer, or vendor. The guide says there is "no known research on the effects of transport on digital prints"; this page does not invent shipping rules. It also does not invent permanence years, fade ratings, or "archival" guarantees.
Print and edition records is the sibling for the inscription that should sit with the sheet.
A situation like this
This is a worked example, not a lot and not a customer. Prints are stored in a room that "feels fine," stacked face to face, and one is rolled for a later showing. IPI's table already rates ROOM as "No" for inkjet, and the handling notes already say not to stack prints directly or roll them.
Sources
- Image Permanence Institute, IPI's Guide to: Preservation of Digitally-Printed Images, ©2018 Image Permanence Institute, at Rochester Institute of Technology. https://www.rit.edu/ipi/dp3/sites/rit.edu.ipi.dp3/files/documents/dp3_guide.pdf
- Label sibling: Inkjet, not giclée: how to label a print
Also in this section
- Inkjet, not giclée: how to label a print — the process name, plus the ink and the paper.
- Print and edition records — the inscription, and what has to stand behind it.
Applications to show unfinished work are open at Apply. First lots have not opened. The shop is not the subject of this page.
The useful next step is to store inkjet cold, keep the surface free of contact, or to read the label companion. If something on this page is wrong, write to us.
Author: Escherbridge. Last reviewed: 2026-11-10, America/Denver.