Laser removal of marker tags from a contemporary graffiti painting

Abstract

Abstract This contribution presents a study on the efficiency of the laser removal of black permanent marker tags from a contemporary graffiti painting. The effect of two wavelengths – 1064 nm and 532 nm, on the marker inks and the graffiti paints was investigated using optical microscopy and colorimetric measurements. Preliminary characterization of the marker inks and the paints by FTIR and XRF analyses was also performed. The results confirm that the materials’ response to laser radiation depends on their particular chemical composition.