The ability of a conservator to carry out wet conservation techniques successfully on paper objects is often dependent upon the solubility and/or chemical vulnerability of the various pigments, dyes or inks which form the image. In extreme cases, where the fugitive areas are either very extensive in size or very soluble in both water and organic solvents, it may not be possible to even consider a wet treatment of any type. However, if the fugitive colorant is not a major component of the image it may be possible to protect the area through the judicious use of a fixative. The necessary prerequisite of this is, of course, that the fugitive color be sufficiently impervious to one of the commonly used solvents to allow the safe application of a suitable fixative. The purpose of this study was to investigate the relative success of some fixative procedures currently being used by paper conservators.