Digital BW, The Print

Ernst wrote:

>In relation to the Kodak Ultima fade test results, there's an 
>interesting article here:

>http://www.photo-i.co.uk/index.html

>where Henry Wilhelm wipes the floor with Kodak's test method.


Thanks for the URL.  In case some have trouble finding the key article, I've
pasted the highlights below:


"Kodak launched a range of Photo Quality paper called the Ultima inkjet
paper which is being marketed as Brilliant Colour photographs that will last
for 100 years on any printer platform, on any ink set. This claim is based
on a distortion of the test method, based on Kodak's testing the new EPSON
Picture Mate would have a print life of 500 or possibly 800 years. ..."

"Wilhelm's testing method use a constant light source of 450 lux day. Kodak
uses 120 lux per day with a UV filter over their lights, this gives a 3.75
over 4X advantage. Based on Kodak's test method an Epson Pro 4000 print on
fine art paper would last for over 1000 years. ..."

See http://www.photo-i.co.uk/News/Apr04/Wilhelm.htm

So if the UltraChrome color prints last 1000 "Kodak years," maybe I ought to
be representing that my UT prints had a "display life" of over 2000 years??
(No way.)

However, I might add that in the last 2 months I've seen 2 museum exhibits
with books written over 1000 years ago.  They were in incredibly good shape.
The pages were barely yellowed at all and the inks -- both black and color
-- were like new.  I've read much of the paper back then was flax based.
(It was clearly not wood-based paper, which came into use only recently.)
The black ink was no-doubt lamp-black (carbon).  I have no idea what the
color pigments were.  However, I'd guess that by AD 800 (the earliest of the
books I saw) people had lots of experience with pigments and dyes for both
writing and clothing.  So, these (probably) pigments may well have been just
as good as the modern ones.


Paul
www.PaulRoark.com