Fading inkjet photos

[Brian]

I'm wondering why inkjet photos fade is it the ink exposure to air, if
so then can a laminated photo stop the fading?

Is it the chemical mix of ink on the photo paper, maybe some photo
papers are better than others. If you were to print on plain paper
then would the photo still fade?

Is it the exposure to strong light such as sunlight the causes a
inkjet photo to fade. Do photos kept in photo albums still fade?

Regards Brian

 

[Caitlin]

I'm wondering why inkjet photos fade is it the ink exposure to air, if
so then can a laminated photo stop the fading?

Is it the chemical mix of ink on the photo paper, maybe some photo
papers are better than others. If you were to print on plain paper
then would the photo still fade?

Is it the exposure to strong light such as sunlight the causes a
inkjet photo to fade. Do photos kept in photo albums still fade?

Regards Brian

All of the above.

Exposure to light & air are two big factors. Also playing a big part though
is the ink, and the paper. Dye based photos will still fade in an album,
just much more slowly. Laminating a photo will reduce fading significantly
BUT you then introduce other issues - is the laminate going to react with
the photo? Will it give off any chemicals, acid etc that will cause
deterioration of their own. Also, how easy is it to remove the laminate -
this may become an issue if you ever want to copy or restore the photo.

Some photo papers are better at sealing in/absorbing the ink, and not
letting in air, so will fade less quickly. Some kinds of ink are more
susceptible to fade than others. For instance the new Epson pigment inks are
very fade resistant.

One thing to note: most archival ratings given by manufacturers are for
under glass, out of direct sunlight.

 

[Jon O'Brien]

All of the above.

Plus ozone and gas fumes. Keeping prints in the kitchen will fade them
even faster.

Jon.

 

[measekite]

Ozone and other chemicals are one of the main problems.

 

[CWatters]

I'm wondering why inkjet photos fade is it the ink exposure to air, if
so then can a laminated photo stop the fading?

Probably but so might smearing it with sun tan cream to block the UV. I
wouldn't do either. Just print a new one when the old one fades.

 

[Brian]

Probably but so might smearing it with sun tan cream to block the UV. I
wouldn't do either. Just print a new one when the old one fades.

I can't help wondering if fading photos is an advantage to
manufactures as I'm going to use more ink in re-printing photos so I
have to buy more ink cartridges.

Regards Brian

 

[Bill]

I believe exposure to UV light is the biggest issue, but air/ozone also
affects prints.

Placing photos in an album that blocks out light and keeps the photo
under a layer of plastic should add decades to the life of a print.

wouldn't do either. Just print a new one when the old one fades.

The only problem with that is if the photo is given to someone else, as
some people may not keep the original data file.

For instance, many of my casual shots at parties or other social events
are not kept. I just print photos off for people and that's it. Of
course the really good keepers I'll keep forever.

 

[Hecate]

I can't help wondering if fading photos is an advantage to
manufactures as I'm going to use more ink in re-printing photos so I
have to buy more ink cartridges.

Regards Brian

Well, that answers why Canon make a lot of profit on their printers
;-)

--

Hecate - The Real One
(e-mail address removed)
Fashion: Buying things you don't need, with money
you don't have, to impress people you don't like...

 

[measekite]

CWatters wrote:




I believe exposure to UV light is the biggest issue, but air/ozone also
affects prints.

A paper supplier told me that ozone is the major culprit in fading.

 

[Brian]

I believe exposure to UV light is the biggest issue, but air/ozone also
affects prints.

Placing photos in an album that blocks out light and keeps the photo
under a layer of plastic should add decades to the life of a print.


The only problem with that is if the photo is given to someone else, as
some people may not keep the original data file.

For instance, many of my casual shots at parties or other social events
are not kept. I just print photos off for people and that's it. Of
course the really good keepers I'll keep forever.

The only way to prevent losing a photo due to age is to scan it into
the computer and save it as a file (if you don't have the original
file).
I have a feeling that prints on printing paper will be replaced by
electronic portable photo albums that have a 6 x 4 inch or larger view
screen and can be hand held. Similar to viewing an ebook. I sometimes
like to show my photos on TV as a slide show that way everyone can see
them and the picture is larger to view.

Regards Brian

 

[lookaaly]

For preventing the photo fading, I am using Photo2DVD for preserving my
favorite photographs to DVD, and making a nice slideshow on TV with
music, transitions and all the DVD menus created automatically.

 

[Caitlin]

For preventing the photo fading, I am using Photo2DVD for preserving my
favorite photographs to DVD, and making a nice slideshow on TV with
music, transitions and all the DVD menus created automatically.

And how are you preserving your DVDs?

 

[CWatters]

I can't help wondering if fading photos is an advantage to
manufactures as I'm going to use more ink in re-printing photos so I
have to buy more ink cartridges.

Well the don't fade that fast.

I've given dye prints to family members and they've lasted 5 years behind
glass with no obvious fading yet.. Certainly they aren't bad enough yet to
need reprinting. My mother has one in a humid bathroom (it's actually stuck
to the outside of the shower door!) and that's three years old at least.

 

[Caitlin]

I can't help wondering if fading photos is an advantage to
manufactures as I'm going to use more ink in re-printing photos so I
have to buy more ink cartridges.

Regards Brian

I don't think they think that far into the future! It's simply harder to
make inks that don't fade, and always have been. The reported increasing in
clogging of pigment inks is an example of a trade off that is required to
try to get more permanent images.

 

[measekite]

The only way to prevent losing a photo due to age is to scan it into
the computer and save it as a file (if you don't have the original
file).
I have a feeling that prints on printing paper will be replaced by
electronic portable photo albums that have a 6 x 4 inch or larger view
screen and can be hand held. Similar to viewing an ebook. I sometimes
like to show my photos on TV as a slide show that way everyone can see
them and the picture is larger to view.

Regards Brian

And do you suppose you will buy a few dozen of these "eBooks" , frame
them, and hand them on a wall? =-O

 

[Hecate]

The only way to prevent losing a photo due to age is to scan it into
the computer and save it as a file (if you don't have the original
file).
I have a feeling that prints on printing paper will be replaced by
electronic portable photo albums that have a 6 x 4 inch or larger view
screen and can be hand held. Similar to viewing an ebook. I sometimes
like to show my photos on TV as a slide show that way everyone can see
them and the picture is larger to view.

There's already a couple of "image cubes" that can do just that. Load
them up with a number of imagers and get a random selection or
whatever...

--

Hecate - The Real One
(e-mail address removed)
Fashion: Buying things you don't need, with money
you don't have, to impress people you don't like...

 

[Hecate]

And how are you preserving your DVDs?

Well, I can't speak for the OP, but I used to have everything on CD,
and on firewire drives. Now it's all on DVD and firewire drives and
the DVDs are checked and recopied regardless after three years. And
when the next format becomes a mass system (I.e. when HD DVD and Blue
Ray become one format, even if it's a different one) I shall buy a
writer and move from DVD to whichever format is next. Storage is
cheap ;-)

--

Hecate - The Real One
(e-mail address removed)
Fashion: Buying things you don't need, with money
you don't have, to impress people you don't like...

 

[Hecate]

And do you suppose you will buy a few dozen of these "eBooks" , frame
them, and hand them on a wall? =-O

More fool you then - there are already "image cubes" for desktop use
selling for about £300 which will load up a number of images and
display them in a sequence or randomly. And there are screens already
developed with are thin and can be folded even, and would be ideal for
hanging on the wall. A simple wireless connection to your household
server/ P|C or whatever you use for computing, will enable you to
change images and have what you like hanging on the wall. You really
need to keep up with the technology...

--

Hecate - The Real One
(e-mail address removed)
Fashion: Buying things you don't need, with money
you don't have, to impress people you don't like...

 

[Caitlin]

Well, I can't speak for the OP, but I used to have everything on CD,
and on firewire drives. Now it's all on DVD and firewire drives and
the DVDs are checked and recopied regardless after three years. And
when the next format becomes a mass system (I.e. when HD DVD and Blue
Ray become one format, even if it's a different one) I shall buy a
writer and move from DVD to whichever format is next. Storage is
cheap ;-)

--

Good - I just hope everyone is as thorough as you.

 

[measekite]

And if you want an art gallery in your home you will have to buy a 100
of these.