Microfading Tester International Discussion Group

Midwest Microfading Tester Workshop 

Microfade testing is a powerful tool for beginning to decide how much light exposure a particular collection item can tolerate. 

Whether you're an MFT user looking to improve your practice, or simply MFT curious, this workshop will provide an in-person hands-on introduction to the different types of MFT machine. 

There will be opportunities for participants to use three different types of MFT machine:

• Whitmore

• Fotonowy

• Thomas retroreflective

Registration Fee: $85

Participants: 18 maximum 

Date/Time: March 20, 2026 (Friday), 8:30 am - 3pm.

Venue: Field Museum, Chicago, IL 60505.

Morning coffee and lunch will be provided as part of the registration fee. 

Registration details at the end of this message.

Schedule

● 08:30 - 09:00: Introduction (30 min)

● 09:00 - 10:20: Practical Session 1 (80 min)

● 10:20 - 10:40: Coffee Break (20 min)

● 10:40 - 12:00: Practical Session 2 (80 min)

● 12:00 - 13:00: Lunch (60 min)

● 13:00 - 14:20: Practical Session 3 (80 min)

● 14:20 - 14:50: Discussion and Conclusion (30 min)

Instructors

Whitmore MFT 

• Vincent Laudato Beltran, Getty Conservation Institute

• Cindy Connelly Ryan, Library of Congress

Thomas MFT (Retroreflective)

• JP Brown, Field Museum

• Erin Murphy, Field Museum

Fotonowy MFT

• Giovanni Verri, Art Institute of Chicago

• Jenny Kim, Getty Conservation Institute

Description

This workshop will provide participants with practical experience on three iterations of the

microfading tester (MFT) instruments commonly in use today: the original Whitmore MFT design, the Thomas Retroreflective MFT, and the Fotonowy MFT. The audience for this workshop includes prospective and emerging MFT users, as well as those interested in alternatives to their current MFT setups.

Introduced in the mid-1990s by conservation scientist Paul Whitmore (Whitmore, Pan, and Bailie, JAIC, 1999), the MFT has become an important preventive conservation tool for evaluating light sensitivity. The technique exposes a very small area-less than 0.5 mm in diameter-to an intense light source exceeding 1 million lux, while a spectrometer simultaneously monitors color change. This method provides insight into vulnerability to light of objects and supports exhibition selection, as well as the development of material-specific lighting guidelines for display.

Though the MFT is employed at heritage institutions around the world, there have been obstacles to its more widespread use. Because it is a unique technique that emerged from within the conservation field rather than from a commercial manufacturer, the formal training and technical support normally offered by instrument companies have not been available. Over the years, MFT users also began exploring alternatives to the original Whitmore MFT setup, including changes to the light source, measurement geometry, and means of automation. Thus, it is incumbent on the conservation field itself to support MFT practice, and this training workshop represents a contribution to this effort.

The bulk of the workshop will be dedicated to gaining hands-on experience with the Whitmore MFT, Retroreflective MFT, and Fotonowy MFT. During three 80-minute sessions on each instrument, participants will work in small groups with expert instructors to begin learning how to operate the instrument (choosing test locations, assessing the light source, establishing test parameters, focusing the light spot, conducting the tests) and communicate the results (analyzing and interpreting the data, preparing reports, impacting lighting guidelines). Information will also be shared on the acquisition, assembly, portability, and maintenance of each instrument. The workshop will include group discussion of general MFT concepts and case

studies, and a Q&A session.

This workshop is organized by AIC's Microfading Tester International Discussion Group (MFT-IDG) in collaboration with the Getty Conservation Institute, the Library of Congress, the Art Institute of Chicago, and Field Museum. 

Registration 

Registration can be purchased from the following link (but please read the parenthetical note after the link before starting the registration process): https://tickets.fieldmuseum.org/special-event-tickets?events=6967cccd3a63d6d037b6abe8&date=2026-03-20