Dr Rita Hofmann-Sievert has worked in the field of image stability, digital image science and photo conservation, both in academia and industry for over thirty-five years. Her interest in digital photo imaging started when she joined ILFORD Imaging’s research in 1985, at the beginning of the digital revolution in photography.
As the head of research for ILFORD imaging from 2000-2013, she managed the transition from digitally exposed silver halide materials to inkjet technology. She led a fifty-strong multi-disciplinary team which developed ILFORD Imaging’s portfolio of polymer and later nanoporous photo quality inkjet materials and inks.
As a Swiss expert for the ISO committee TC-42, Photography, she has contributed to many international standards in photographic image permanence and image quality. She has authored or co-authored more than thirty publications in the field.
From 2009-2011 Dr Hofmann was the President of the Society of Imaging Science and Technology, USA, and became an Honorary member in 2019. She is a fellow of the Swiss Academy of Engineering Sciences (SATW) and was its Vice-President from 2021-2023.
Dr Hofmann has taught colour photo materiality and photo conservation as assistant professor at the Institute of Materiality in Art and Culture (Applied University of Bern). In her spare time, she cares for the Archives of ILFORD Imaging in Switzerland, now belonging to Association Cibachrome which from part of the industrial cultural heritage of the Canton of Fribourg and Switzerland.
