--- Keith Green <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > > >Try Bob Meyer's site: > http://www.meyerweb.net/epson for information about > > >Epson fading (and others). > > > > Interesting he notes Colorlife paper doesn't do > it, at least as much. > > I've never seen Colorlife paper for sale, but > these prints I'm talking > > about are on two different papers. One is Epson > semi-matte, the other > > is Konica semi-matte. I like the Epson better, > lays flatter, colours > > are better, but the Konica does not show this > orange fading! > > > > Maybe I'll have to switch to Konica paper, it's > cheaper too.
> > Bob (Meyer) > I don't know which number that is :-) > > While I find your Epson blues website interesting, I > notice that it hasn't > been updated recently. > Have you carried out any further testing of > inks/papers? > I have actually got a Canon 820, but I haven't > carried out any serious > testing on quality/longevity. (I do like the Ilford > Gallerie Pearl paper > 'though.) Good question. I was just about to post some information about this when I saw your email, above. Short answer: I've been way to busy to do any more testing. I do hope to update the site with some more general information soon. Basically, all dye based insets are prone to atmospheric induced fading to some degree or another. Six (and 7)color inksets are far worse than 4 color because the light cyan dye is by far the worst offender. NOTE that pigment based inksets seem to be pretty much immune to the phenomenon. I've compared 6 color dye inkset / paper combinations from Canon, HP and Epson, and the paper is much more critical than the ink. Currently, there are two basic coating technologies being used for mass market inkjet paper. One is micropore (or microporous), the other is "swellable." Swellable coatings are traditionally gelatin based, but various polymers are typically used today. The key difference: microporous papers have extremely tiny holes in the coatin that wick the ink below the surface of the paper. That's a good think, in that the ink appears to dry almost instantly. (It doesn't, really, dry much faster. It's just that the ink is below the surface, so the surface seems dry. But it's a bad thing in that those tiny holes allow air to come into continuous contact with the surface of the ink, and oxidizing agents in the atmosphere (ozone is a strong one) cause the dyes to fade. Swellable coatings get wet when the ink hits them, absorbing the ink. When they dry, the ink is protected from contact with air by the coating it has been absorbed by, and is much less prone to atmospheric induced fade. The downside is that sellable coatings aren't water proof. Get them wet, they swell all over again. Get them wet enough, and the ink can smear and run. Micropore papers are pretty near waterproof. Many papers, unfortunately, aren't marked. But you can figure if a paper is labeled as "instant dry," or "quick drying," it's a microporous design. The above is all true but, unfortunately, isn't a complete guide to choosing papers. In my tests, some swellable polymer papers did well, and others did poorly. Some micropore papers did better than others (Epson actually adds anti-oxidants to some of their papers, which react chemically to oxidizers in the air. But it's a zero sum game: sooner or later the anti-oxidants are exhausted, and then the ink will begin to fade as rapidly as any other paper. And you can figure that if vendors change their coating, they're not necessarily going to tell you. I had very good results from the Ilford Gallerie papers, but I know of at least one person who did experience rapid color shift with that paper. Finally, note that atmospheric ( or "gas" ) fading is only one kind of fade. Dye based inks are subject to light induced fade, too. And there's no guarantee that a paper that resists gas fade will also resist light fade. Your best bet: Use a pigment ink based printer, like the Epson 2200. (Of course, pigment inks present their own set of tradeoffs.) Or use the manufacturer recommended papers and frame behind glass. Of just figure fading is a fact of life, and reprint your images periodically. ===== Bob Meyer I wish I knew what I know now, when I was younger... http://www.meyerweb.net/epson __________________________________ Do you Yahoo!? The New Yahoo! Search - Faster. Easier. Bingo. http://search.yahoo.com * **** ******* *********************************************************** * For list instructions, including unsubscribe, see: * http://www.a1.nl/phomepag/markerink/eos_list.htm ***********************************************************
