Art Prints and Testing (CPSIA). Anyone get an estimate or do testing yet?

[#1]

I posted in another thread that I tried to get an estimate for testing on my archival cotton rag and 8 pigment inks (Epson).
His response was this:

"I am in receipt of your request and question regarding testing of the print materials. You are fortunate in that print; from what I am able to find out, is not included in the regulation for the lead base paint required testing and certification. You may want to do some further research on this, but this is what I am being told.

One reason being the expense of separation on materials when textiles are died, or colored. It gets very expensive to separate and test those items of that nature.

Please feel free to call me with any questions, concerns on this."

Now, I have not ever seen that prints are not included. What I AM hearing is that EVERYTHING is included (minus possibly OOAK and materials that are known to be clear). I think in the beginning there was some hope because they are wall hangings, but that has since changed.

My concerns are twofold:

First, can prints be tested for a reasonable fee?

Second, does pigment ink contain lead? It's reasonable to suspect it DOES because many paint pigments contain heavy metals (and I avoid using them because of this).

I don't want to waste money having my art prints tested only to be told they don't pass and I'm out $$ in more ways than one. I did put in a call to Epson and they referred me to the MSDS but clearly had no other answers since pigment mixtures are proprietary information and the FDA doesn't require disclosure.

Have you gotten your prints tested yet?

[Former_Member]

How do you define your art is for children? If it's "cute" does that mean they are considered art for kids? I make illustration for adults but they could be hanging my art in kids room....

[Former_Member]

Getartnow, I'm taking it to an extreme, obviously. I have to believe that wisdom will eventually prevail.

[Former_Member]

ConstantDreamer..

I would think who every prints your work (if you don't print your own) could answer your question. If you print your own work, then your ink and paper supplier could answer your questions.

I don't know any company in the printing business that uses a lead base ink, it's been soyoil based for years. I hope this ease's your mind a little.

[Former_Member]

I own a bookstore and the independent booksellers are just starting to wake up and go "wait, what, I have to BURN Harry Potter?" I personally have around 2000 kids books that will have to be pulled from sale. I can't even GIVE them away, as that counts as "distribution".

Since it is retroactive, any book printed before November 2008 and intended for kids 12 and under (harry Potter, Dr Seuss, Magic Treehouse, Golden Books, etc) must be removed from sale as of February 10th.

And lets not forget this will hit textbook publishers too. Your local school system already strapped for cash? Watch those textbook prices go through the roof!

If your 12 year old is gnawing on his science textbook, you have more serious issues than lead poisoning.

As to the issue of printing, if you are printing with ink made in the US, it falls under same regs as lead paint. It has not been standardly used in the US since 1978. (its still used in some outdoor road paint. stop licking the crosswalk) So any book printed in the US since 1978 will be lead free. Your kidlets can safely gnaw on boardbooks that say they were printed in the US. (you'll find that info either on the back by the ISBN, or inside with the other publication data. The city listed and the actual printing site are NOT necessarily the same. You can find stuff that says New York and also says "printed in Korea")

Books printed in Canada, the EU, Australia, and New Zealand follow similar guidelines so are leadless. Or better yet, don't let your kids gnaw on them in the first place :) Ingesting wood pulp will make for unhappy baby.

[Former_Member]

<<100paws says:
How do you define your art is for children? If it's "cute" does that mean they are considered art for kids? I make illustration for adults but they could be hanging my art in kids room....>>

Clearly we should all switch to painting nothing but nudes. Then people can't claim art is for kids, as the people that are this gung ho to protect kidlets from EVERYTHING wouldn't want them to see a nipple. Remember to blindfold those kids before breastfeeding. Might be dangerous.

[Former_Member]

fenrislorsrai, that was very informative, thanks! "Stop licking the crosswalk" LOL

[Former_Member]

...As to the issue of printing, if you are printing with ink made in the US, it falls under same regs as lead paint.
___________________________________________________

Thank you ~fenrislorsrai~ I didn't think there was anything to worry about when it came to prints.

[SignsByDiane]

I really feel for those of you who sell children's items! I'm so glad that I don't!

As far as prints go I would think that it's a product that isn't supposed to come into direct contact with a child so it should be OK.

Really where does this all stop? One could argue that ANYTHING that a child could come into contact with should be tested and that includes adult items too!

[Former_Member]

Even if you aren't selling products and aren't buying, you'll still be paying for all this extra testing. Schools are the major buyers for kids products. I have blog article up here on that:
http://fenris-lorsrai.livejournal.com/413898.html

Seriously, are sixth graders trying to eat the snare drum in the band room? Why the hell are we testing that? (stuffing drumsticks up his nose, that I WOULD attribute to sixth grade boys. But not gnawing on the snare.)

[Former_Member]

There is no end. When they are done with this issue, Congress will find another one.

[Former_Member]

seriously - if wall art is to be included in this horribly written law, then were can we possibly draw the line?
what about light fixtures for the ceiling? flooring? windows? doorknobs? light bulbs for lamps?
who can determine if art is for the exclusive use in a nursery?
I happen to love many of the "children's" art illustrations I see on etsy.

[Former_Member]

Crosswalks?

Don't KIDS walk in those?

[Former_Member]

OH NOES! Clearly we shall have to get rid of those.

[Former_Member]

Yup.

The average 12 year old is about 5 ft. tall. So anything that can be reached by a 5ft. tall person should be tested.

That's just about everything except the 2 liter soft drinks at Walmart.

[Former_Member]

That's cleaver, "pulped fiction", LittleDickensDesigns!
Helene

[Faeorain]

As far as I know, fine art does not need to be tested. If they have now added that to the list, it's news to me.

If the goverment thinks it's going to force me to pay for testing on materials that I purchase and use that already have a non-toxic label on them, they have another thing coming.

I'm pretty sure that my ink, watercolors and paper don't magically turn to lead once I start creating with them. To me, it's all just part of the plan for the government to keep the little guy down. They want two classes. Slaves and overlords, and they seem to be taking all roads to get it.

[JeweledAmbrosia]

Fairygarden says:
Yup.

The average 12 year old is about 5 ft. tall. So anything that can be reached by a 5ft. tall person should be tested.
-----------------------

I'm 27 and 5 foot tall. At least I don't us crosswalks or read books. Being 12 and under sure is a dangerous job.

Too bad they don't put this much emphasis on protecting children from kidnappers and abusers!!

[Former_Member]

My grandson will be 12 in March & he has not chewed on anything in years! This is what the Gov. was wasting their time on while the economy was collapsing.
Helene

[Former_Member]

If they ACTUALLY wanted to protect kids from lead, most exposure comes from old infrastructure. Old paint from the 70s that crumbles to easily inhaled dust and lead solder used to join pipes from before 1978.

When was your local school built? If it was before 1978, and hasn't been renovated, the pipes may have lead solder and the bottom coat of paint may be lead. First thing to go when schools get cash strapped is maintenance. (covering lead paint with new latex is a standard way of dealing with it)

So driving up costs for schools via CPSIA means less money for paint. Less money for paint means that base coat will likely be exposed... and crumble. Congratulations, we have no poisoned many more children! way to go!

And they have no books to read either.

CPSIA was passed with good intensions but was incredibly poorly implemented. It's like removing the tree stump in your yard with a flame thrower. You aren't going to have much left to the yard but some scorched dirt... and the tree stump is probably still there.

[Former_Member]

This thread certainly has taken an interesting turn since I've been away. =)

I don't think it was the government's intent to cause this much widespread mayhem with this new law, but clearly it's failure to define what specifically must be tested and to provide exemptions for non-threatening materials and small businesses needs to be brought to the light.

*sigh*

Guess I need to jump on the bandwagon too, if I don't want my business to get sucked down the drain too...

[TheFurkidStudio]

I can't imagine them regulating art prints or illustrations--way to send America back to the Dark Ages.

Can you picture this? "No, I'm sorry Ms. Artist, you are not allowed to depict that charming elephant with his little bird friend. How about you draw a gang fight instead? That's definitely not for children..."

I'm sorry, but art prints are not something that most reasonable people would consider to be a plaything for children.

And if they are for some, then those parents need a smack upside the head.

[EyePopArt]

Hey there, I have a question - I recently received a wholesale inquiry from a new children's room decor boutique, they are interested in my clocks. I hate to pass up an opportunity but I feel like I should just say, no, sorry, I can't do business with you, because I can't afford to have them tested in order to comply with this new law.

What do you think I should say?

[Former_Member]

Tell them about CPSIA. It'll affect you and them both. More people that know and object to the way it is being implemented, the better odds it will be fixed.

[Former_Member]

This whole situation would be seem like a tremendous satire if it weren't so terribly, horribly real.

I guess labeling fine art "Do Not Lick." wouldn't do it.

[Former_Member]

Well I got an estimate for testing from a company (finally).
They quoted me $70 per ink and $75 for the cotton rag (if I need to get my archival cotton tested *sigh*).

That comes to $635, which I can handle. If I have to retest every single time I run out of an ink, that's going to be annoying, though.

I'm not sure the best way to send in the ink for testing. I plan to ask. Regardless of how annoying the law is, at this point it seems to require that I have everything tested. I am hoping that it changes and I can forgo the expense, but I don't want to wait until the last minute if possible.