Howdy bizmarker-ga,
There are several factors which will affect lightfastness, that is, their
resistance to fading and using plain paper, or even another manufacturer's
paper, can be a factor.
The type of paper, the the of ink, the printer and the printer settings all
can play a part when it comes to lightfastness. There are also other things
to take into consideration, such as exposure to light and humidity.
This Time Magazine article speaks to the settings and paper to use.
"Printing Digital Photos Tips for putting out the family album at home" by
Maryanne Murray Buechner.
http://www.time.com/time/techtime/200401/printer.html
"Before you start each print job, check the printer settings (or preferences)
to make sure you have selected the proper print size and the type of paper
you are using (premium, glossy, semi-glossy, matte, plain). For best results,
use Canon ink and paper with Canon printers, Epson ink and paper with Epson
printers, HP ink and paper with HP printers and so on. 'The laying down of
inks is a very technical process,' notes digital photography expert and
guidebook author Rick Sammon, and a manufacturer's own papers are optimized
for that manufacturer's line of printers."
This PC Buyer's Guide article address outside factors that can affect the
lightfastness of an image.
"Fade Resistant Ink" by Graeme Bennett.
http://pcbuyersguide.com/hardware/printers/fade-resistant_inks.html
"Color inkjet printouts are not as long-lasting as photographs. Some can
withstand light, but are undone by humidity. Others fade quickly in bright
light. Laminating can extend the life of the output. Generally speaking,
modern color ink jet printers haven't been around long enough to test the
longevity of the newest inks."
Another thing that can affect the lightfastness of an image is the acidity
of the paper. For instance, Xerox Business Multipurpose 4200 paper is not
acid-free.
This Compu-Kiss "Printing Photographs" tutorial also addresses paper and
printer settings.
http://www.compukiss.com/sandyclassroom/tutorials/article991.htm
"The quality of a home-printed photograph is directly related to the quality
of the paper that is used.
...
It is best to start with a photo paper that is offered by the manufacturer
of your printer. For instance, if you have an Epson printer, use Epson photo
paper.
...
The paper choices for some printers can also be chosen right on the printer
itself. The printer lays down differing amounts of ink depending on the type
of paper chosen. So if you choose plain paper in the settings, but try to
print on glossy paper or vice-versa, you are sure to be disappointed in the
results."
Kodak has an article on their website which talks about the printer and
the ink you might be using, and the differences in plain and photo paper.
"How Long Will Inkjet Prints Last? Background on Print Life" by Douglas
Bugner.
http://www.kodak.com/US/en/digital/printers/claims/printStability.jhtml
"Papers (or films) used for photographic quality inkjet printing have a
special ink-receptive coating on at least one surface. This coating is
designed to absorb the inks and to optimize both the image quality and
image stability of the print.
...
On the other hand, for most desktop office printers, plain paper
compatibility is understandably a higher priority than lightfastness.
As such, the inks used for printers that are designed for use in the
office typically contain dyes and other ingredients that compromise
lightfastness at the expense of producing bright, colorful graphics on
plain paper."
The Epson website has a technical brief on ink jet printers which shows
the many options that one has when it comes to ink selection.
http://files.support.epson.com/pdf/600q__/600q__ti.pdf
"Ink System: Epson offers a variety of ink systems to meet every printing
need:
- Epson Photo Ink
- DURABrite Ultra Pigment Ink
- PictureMate Photo Ink
- Epson UltraChrome Hi-Gloss Ink
- Epson UltraChromeK3 Ink
..."
As for fading when exposed to the sun, there is "Ted's Inkjet Fade Test,
Round 1" by Ted Felix, which shows the result of one person's test.
http://tedfelix.com/FadeTesting/InkjetAging.html
Scroll to the bottom where Ted presents the "side-by-side" results of his
test. The images of the pictures printed on "Kodak Photo Letter Paper"
and "Printed using Plain Paper/Best mode on printer driver" show extreme
fading.
You should read the above referenced pages for more details on navigating
the process of making fade resistant prints.
So, if you want to really prevent fading on the prints of your pictures,
you will want to get the right printer, which on a consumer level appears
to be one that has at least 6 printer cartridges. You will want to get an
appropriate ink for the printer and the appropriate paper for that ink.
You will want to make sure all of your printer settings are correct for
the printer, paper and ink that you have chosen.
Once printed, you will want to avoid the affects that sunlight, humidity
and temperature will have on where you store or display your pictures.
If you want them to last longer and fade the least, you can look at mounting
the pictures on an acid-free backing and placing them under UV (ultraviolet)
resistant glass.
Experiment with different ink, paper and setting combinations seems to be
recommended by most everyone, in order to find the right combination.
How far you want to go with the above depends on your budget. Even though
I am an avid photographer, for casual, and especially multiple prints, I
have my digital photographs processed at the local Walgreens on Kodak paper.
If you need any clarification, please feel free to ask.
Search strategy:
Google search on: "plain paper" printing photos fade OR fading
://www.google.com/search?q=%22plain+paper%22+printing+photos+fade+OR+fading
Also, personal experience with photograpy and print making.
Looking Forward, denco-ga - Google Answers Researcher |
