Digital BW, The Print

Nothing fancy Allen.

My tests are only to compare one inkset with another and to see how long
each lasts before beginning to fade, shift, change color, etc. I use just a
small piece of scotch tape in the top middle of the print, so over time the
print curls a bit. I mostly just use Epson's Archival matte paper. I know
these aren't scientific tests or even close to it. I just want to see which
inksets last the longest before starting to show changes.  The MIS Variable
tone inks With Paul Roark's Curves were first. The piezo ink with the
generations cyan and magenta added to the yellow position to make coldtones
were second. (Very close, either one rates very good). Regular piezo was
third. Generations Color inks were the best color inks I tested, but have
not used the MIS or Piezo color inks yet. The new 1280 epson original color
inks withstood 2 months before I could see any change at all, even then, it
was the paper that turned ivory colored, and not the inks.

The picture window faces South, it's about 6x8 feet in area, and has 2 panes
of heavy glass. I figure if the print can withstand 2 months of sunny north
dakota weather that they will last a long time under normal room lighting.
I've never had any inkset change color, or fade under normal room light,
except the original Stylus color 800 color printer inks of about 5 years
ago. Those prints are toast. Totally faded, color shifted, and worthless.
And they've all been kept in a dark box.

Humidity varies from about 35 to 60 percent depending on the time of year.

> I don't think any inkset on the market combined with any paper will
> actually show an image totally unchanged in 25 years. I really don't.
> There are far far too many variables that can affect both ink AND paper.
> In North Dakota we have a very low level of pollution, no ozone pollution
> as far as I know. We do have A Sugar refining plant and a potato plant
> that gives off odors that will melt the chrome off a car bumper, so God
> only knows what they will do to a print a few years down the line.

> I have always pinned my patches to
> foamcore and held it a couple of inches from
> the glass and looking up older records, I
> show much longer results then I'm getting
> right now in this kind of quick informal
> testing.

I've never done precise testing, Just what I mention above. It is only to
see which inksets last the longest for a couple months before something
changes.

I have had an original piezo print in my car's rear shelf for 1 year.
(yesterday was the 365th day). No Fading, but it can only be called a full
fledged sepia toned print now. The bad thing is the paper itself gets much
more ivory colored than it was when printed, and this makes the highlights
in the print the same color as the paper is now, which makes the print less
than wonderful.



Jerry