Digital BW, The Print

At 300 hours in my new 3100 lumens fader, the Epson Matte Black and Archival
black, as expected, looked excellent, with no measurable fade (reduction in
visual density as measured by the X-Rite Digital Swatchbook).  On EEM, of
course, the UC Matte Black has a very good dmax of 1.73 (black ink only
printing with an 1160) whereas the Archival black had a dmax of only 1.48
(black only printing with 1160).

The MIS Matte Black, which has a nice neutral tone, did not do as well.  It
faded 0.07 units, dropping from 1.58 to 1.51.

For comparison, the MIS FS black performed respectably, with a 0.02 fade
from 1.61 to 1.59.  Note that this was with RGB printing, which results in a
lower dmax on the 1160 than black-ink-only printing.

Note that the Epson Matte Black has shown the unusual characteristic of
actually getting denser with light exposure -- up to a point.  With the
Epson MSDS showing that the UC Matte K has no carbon in it, and "<7%"
"proprietary dyes and pigments," I think that they have found a substance
that is able to offset fading and oxidation at least temporarily by getting
darker.  Whether this effect will last for the long term is uncertain, in my
mind.  Frankly, I doubt it.  But it will take a much longer test than this
tell.

Additionally, my fade testing does not hold the humidity at 60%, which is, I
think, what the standard calls for.  Nor do these fade tests expose the
pigments to air-borne pollutants, that may cause major damage.  As such, I'd
guess that the Epson Archival pigment's advantages of being coated are not
being tested by what I am doing.

Frankly, I suspect that these relatively uncontrolled fade tests are mostly
determining the amount of dye that is in a black ink.  That has value, but
it's not a substitute for a long term test that is better controlled or real
world display under less than ideal conditions.

Paul
http://www.PaulRoark.com