September 1997 Volume 19 Number 3

ASTM D01.57 News

The American Society for Testing and Materials Subcommittee on Artists' Paints and Related Materials, ASTM D01.57, writes standards for the performance, quality, and health labeling of artists' paints and other materials. A compilation of its published work is available from ASTM, 100 Barr Harbor Drive, West Conshohocken PA 19428-2959 (610-832-9500). This brief note is to keep readers informed about the latest news on the standards development front.

D01.57 recently applied for federal support for a project to identify the pigments in colored pencils, in preparation for the writing of a lightfastness test method and a labeling specification for these popular materials. Simultaneously, a European manufacturer of colored pencils has agreed to allow the chair of the Subcommittee, Mark Gottsegen, to try to convince them of the value of producing a lightfast set of pencils and of participating in ASTM's standards-writing process. They have also agreed to investigate whether to help in the writing of the test method and specification. If these two standards are written, it may eventually result, for the first time, in accurately labeled colored pencils for artists' use.

For further information about the activities of ASTM D01.57, contact Mark Gottsegen, Department of Art, UNC Greensboro, Greensboro NC 27412-5001 (phone 910-334-5571; fax 910-674-7899