Laminating Printed Photos good or bad ??

[Digital Sheep]

When laminating does it suck all the air out. never done it so i don;t
know. But no air is good right. Well for Ink printed photos i don't
know.

Thanks for any info. Just want to print some thigs for some people and
they would want them to last. But was thinking of just doin git the
old fashioned way if i want them to realy last with real film and just
blow it up.

Thanks.

 

[Bill 2]

When laminating does it suck all the air out. never done it so i don;t
know. But no air is good right. Well for Ink printed photos i don't
know.

Thanks for any info. Just want to print some thigs for some people and
they would want them to last. But was thinking of just doin git the
old fashioned way if i want them to realy last with real film and just
blow it up.

Most photo places (from Wal-Mart to a professional photo place) will take
digital files and print them on real photo paper, using the exact same
process (and machine) that they use to make film prints. Usually doesn't
cost too much, a quarter or so for a 4x6. Usually works out cheaper than
doing it yourself (for truly photo quality prints). It will last as long as
a film print.

An important thing would be to carefully store the photo when it's printed
(however it's printed). If it's left out where it can be exposed to UV light
(sunlight) it will fade earlier. Keep them in a cool, dark, dry location.

 

[measekite]

I have had real film prints hanging in a frame for years. They have
faded with time. They were not behind glass.

 

[measekite]

Most photo places (from Wal-Mart to a professional photo place) will take
digital files and print them on real photo paper, using the exact same
process (and machine) that they use to make film prints. Usually doesn't
cost too much, a quarter or so for a 4x6. Usually works out cheaper than
doing it yourself (for truly photo quality prints). It will last as long as
a film print.

In order to get truly quality prints I suggest you edit the digital
files in Photoshop until you get them the way you want them including
cropping for the size of the print you want. Then take the edited files
to a lab. I suggest going to a professional photo store.

 

[Renard DellaFave]

Inkjet prints can be laminated in regular film or pouches but "real"
photos need a special type otherwise you'll get bubbles.

I use a laminator from Royal Sovereign, but generally just on LTR size
prints, for 4x6 it's Wally World or Sam's club.

 

[CWatters]

When laminating does it suck all the air out. never done it so i don;t
know. But no air is good right. Well for Ink printed photos i don't
know.

Light not air seems to be the main problem for inkjet fading. Framing behind
glass stops UV light and seems to help.


Aside: NEVER laminate documents you cant replace. For example never laminate
a historic document. The wrong type of plastic can/will itself damage paper.
Store important papers flat between sheets of acid free paper or in
Mylar/polyester sleeves than can be removed later.

http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/roads.../2003/hotsprings/hotsprings_fts_laminate.html

http://dlis.dos.state.fl.us/barm/preservation/conservation/Encapsulation/

 

[Arthur Entlich]

In theory, laminating should help reduce fading, because it limits or
eliminates gas exposure to the surface of the print. But that's where
theory ends and conjecture begins.

Laminates come in dozens of formulations, the adhesives, which can make
up more of the laminate than the plastic on many, can be made from
dozens of different thermal glues, or cold adhesives. The plastic
coating can be made of one of a good dozen different plastics, in
different thicknesses. Some may be "breathable", others not. Hot
laminates usually are identified by two numbers, one represents the
thickness of the plastic the other the thickness of the adhesive.

The thermal glues can and do have different melting points.

So, do laminates protect inkjet prints from fading? Who really knows.
I don't know of any tests, and even if there were, which types, which
adhesives, which temperatures. and for how long? Will the adhesives or
plastics yellow or become brittle over time?

The only thing I can say is that if your printer can print well on
non-inkjet paper or inexpensive inkjet paper, you may find it cheaper to
use a laminate. They will be waterproof, glossy (unless you use a matte
laminate, which is usually more costly) and scuff-proof. They will be
thicker as well.

Most people do not seem to like the look of glossy lamination for real
photos. They look too "plastic". Laminating adds cost. Thicker
pouches are pretty costly, roll and thinner laminate can be fairly
inexpensive inexpensive, but don't add much "bulk" to the paper.

Considering the variables, it's very hard to place a "value" on
lamination, in terms of permanence. If you ever hear of any long term
tests, I'd like to know about them.

Art

 

[Arthur Entlich]

All dyes and pigments are vulnerable to several types of environmental
influences. These include UV, gasses (of several types), oxidation,
temperature, etc. Organic colorants or media also can be attacked by
molds and bacteria.

In general, with photographic materials, these factors are referred to
as light exposure fading and dark fading. They are not necessarily
related to one another. Some dyes have great dark keeping (fading
resistance) but are very vulnerable to light fading, and vice versa.

As an example in the word of transparencies, Kodachrome has some of the
best dark fade resistance of color materials. However, Kodachrome films
are quite vulnerable to bright lighting, and they can show fade just
from minutes in a slide projector. However, while Ektachrome films tend
to have poorer dark keeping, they are much better against fading in
bright light.

It comes down to picking the appropriate materials for the application
in mind.

Art

 

[Vic Dura]

In order to get truly quality prints I suggest you edit the digital
files in Photoshop until you get them the way you want them including
cropping for the size of the print you want. Then take the edited files
to a lab. I suggest going to a professional photo store.

Or you can upload to an Internet print processor. DotPhoto.com and
Ofoto.com are good. DotPhoto does good color work and is cheaper than
Ofoto, but is a little slow to ship. Ofoto does good color and B&W but
is a bit more expensive.

I use Dotphoto for color when I'm not in a hurry and Ofoto for B&W.

 

[Joel]

When laminating does it suck all the air out. never done it so i don;t
know. But no air is good right. Well for Ink printed photos i don't
know.

Thanks for any info. Just want to print some thigs for some people and
they would want them to last. But was thinking of just doin git the
old fashioned way if i want them to realy last with real film and just
blow it up.

Thanks.

Pick your choice.

1) If you want your photo lasts as long as any regular photo, and cheap on
ink. Then get your photo printed by photolab like Wal-Mart, SAMS club,
and many professional online companies.

The price for 8x10 is around $2.50-$3.00 or little cheaper from some
online store. I think it's cheaper and safer than wasting our ink.

Yes, sometime I like the color of my inkjet better.

2) Laminating, you also have at least 2 choices. You can go either with Hot
or COLD laminating, and the laminate machine and pouche are very cheap.
If you are member of SAMS Club then you can get a huge package of pouches
for around $15. If you have some store like Big Lots (some cheap stuff)
then you may find a cheap laminate machine for $10-15, else it may cost
around $30-70 at some regular store