Digital BW, The Print

--- In DigitalBlackandWhiteThePrint@y..., "Paul Roark" 
<paul.roark@v...> wrote:

(snip)

> >I still maintain that buffering has, so far, shown itself to be 
detrimental
> >to inkjet inks and also, that if
> >the paper has an acid component (using wood pulp instead of 
cotton, or
> >'rag' fibers')  the buffering agents
> >will be overwhelmed in the long run and self destruct.
> 
> I think I agree with this.  From what I've heard buffering has a 
negative
> impact on image permanence -- which may not correlate with paper 
permanence,
> of course.  Also, I think the fact that the newspaper I get tests as
> non-acid with the pen and yet self-destructs very quickly shows 
that cheap
> buffering can fool the pens (and government regulations, perhaps) 
while not
> solving the problems.

Paul,

The pH pens are a pretty straightforward chemical test and if the pen 
is good (I have gotten a bad one from Lineco) the tests give an 
accurate "Yes-Maybe-No" result. I haven't run across any newsprint 
yet that does not test acid. Acid-free paper processing is now the 
rule in the US and Europe with buffering being very common. Cheap 
paper is very much better than it used to be. If it checks okay with 
the pen it probably is. If it checks out acid with the pen it MAY or 
MAY NOT be okay.

> 
> However, I also seem to remember reading that wood pulp can be used 
to make
> good paper if the lignin is removed.  Apparently that is the acid 
reserve in
> cheap, wood-based paper.  The process by which the paper is made 
also
> appears to be critical.

I agree on both counts.

> 
> So, the question for mass-market (read inexpensive) paper might be 
whether a
> lignin-free, wood-pulp paper without buffering can be stable.  My 
reading
> indicates that is what Epson tried to do with "Archival matte."  Of 
course,
> that fact that they are changing the name may indicate that their 
latest
> research indicates the paper is not archival.  (The legal 
department must
> have been pulled into the issue only after the marketing department 
came up
> with the EAM name.)

A lignin-free, acid-free, un-buffered paper is internally stable but 
is has no protection from damaging environmental contaminates. 
> 
> >It is my feeling that if one wants long term stability
> >(like on the old photos) one should use rag papers,
> >which have slight amounts of buffering agents in them...hopefully 
enough to
> >neutralize acid atmosphere over time, ...
> 
> I think I'm going to start using EAM for display prints only (where 
image
> permanence is primary) and Museo for the old photo reproductions 
(where long
> term dark storage is the issue).

If there is a negative impact on image permanence from buffered paper 
it would be a chemical reaction and keeping it in dark storage would 
not be a protection.

Looking back at your test results, you reported that the Eclipse 
Satine equaled or beat EAM in fading and warm shifting. The Eclipse 
is a buffered paper so I don't think there is a negative connection 
between buffered papers and image permanence with carbon pigment 
inks. Dye based inks and particularly color dye inks may be a 
different story.

Martin Wesley