P3D Re: Archival Photo Inks

[boris@xxxxxxxxxxxx (Boris Starosta)]

Friends:

Thanks to Brenda for ferreting out this interesting site:
>From: Brenda Nowlan <bknowlan@xxxxxxxxx>...
...
>If anyone is interested in archival photo inks for ink jet
>printers, check out this site:
>
>http://www.missupply.com/store.cgi?cart_id=9496913.3763&page=arcinks.html

I just started printing my first limited edition fine art prints
(anaglyphs) using archival materials and an Epson 3000 inkjet printer.
This is following a bit of research on the matter.  Given my new experience
I thought I would comment on the link that Brenda has given above.

The MIS site says that the archival ink set that it sells will last for 100
years.  Because of the many variables involved, such a claim has to be
qualified, and in fact that is what they do to some extent in the FAQ
section.  They say their inks are not certified by the Wilhelm institute,
which is the primary testing facility for fine art applications of this
technology.  Their claim is based on in-house testing, but they cannot
_guarantee_ archival performance.

It is also important to note that archival quality of a print depends not
only on the inks used, but also the paper.  They do mention this in their
FAQ.  Another qualification to consider is this: at what point is a print
considered to have faded or color shifted?  Also, some colors will fade
faster than others, and it depends on mixing and interaction.  Pure yellow
may be stable, whereas Yellow mixed with Cyan (green) may have a slightly
shorter lifespan.  And what about the display conditions?  So it is very
difficult to define "archival" in terms of numbers of years.

For my fine art prints, I have used the Epson 3000 inkjet machine to print
the Lysonic E Fine Art inkset on Arches watercolor paper.  The Wilhelm
Institute has tested this ink/paper combination using an Iris printer (the
printer itself will make little difference to the archival result), and has
_certified_ that such prints will last for 32-36 years under illumination
found in a typical domestic or office environment.  And what is that?  It
is 400lux from an incandescent or fluorescent source at the surface of the
print for 12 hours per day.

Some art galleries will use more light to illuminate artwork, but unless
you are showing your print in such a gallery for decades on end, the effect
of a gallery exhibition on a print should be minimal.  Of course, if you
keep your print in a dark place, it may last hundreds of years.

It is a very interesting area of technology, improving at a rapid pace.
The high end archival digital print technology represents just one more
nail in the coffin of optical/chemical photography and printing.

Respectfully submitted,


Boris Starosta            boris@xxxxxxxxxxxx
                          http://www.starosta.com
usa 804 979 3930          http://www.starosta.com/3dshowcase



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