Digital BW, The Print

Paul Roark wrote:

>>I too would like to see how linear the rate of fade is.  
>>    
>>
>
>I have a 600 hour read of the K3 ABW and UT7 test strips.  Consistent with
>everything we've seen, the rate of fade at the beginning is typically not
>the same as later.  I usually assume that the fade rate is higher at first,
>but I've occasionally seen apparent increases in density initially, even
>when the printing was done over a week prior to the fade test start. 
>
It's conceivable that the increases in density seen early on are the 
result of driving off the last of the glycols and glycerins. Even 
moderate levels of light can increase the temperature of the print. 
Increasing the print temperature helps these ink base components dissipate.

I say this because I've noticed a fairly marked improvement in Dmax on 
my prints when I dry them with a hairdryer. Even days later - you can 
smell the glycols coming off the print and see the Dmax increase. For 
reference I'm using PiezoTones mostly on HPR. I've seen the same effect 
when drying UltraChromes however - not as marked, but a subtle increase 
in Dmax and a slight increase in gamut.
--
Bruce Watson