Digital BW, The Print

pr_roark wrote:
> [re: gum arabic]
> ... 
>> Good dispersion qualities but if it is tends to spoil ...
> 
> I'm keeping an eye on that issue.  The anti-microbial effects of a 
> simple piece of copper wire in water are most interesting (silver 
> also, but it's more expensive).
> 
> ...
> 
>> Lately we see more messages here that praise the pre inkjet 
>> technologies for their archival qualities.
> 
> I don't think older technologies are better, but B&W photograph is a 
> medium steeped in tradition.  It's interesting that some of the 
> materials that have been used for many years may continue to have 
> relevance.  Also, given the uncertainties of accelerated age testing, 
> looking at materials that have actually stood the test of time is one 
> source of predicting future performance.
> 
> 
>> Thousand of 
>> chemists work on inkjet inks and coatings, there must be 
>> some that are well aware of the pros and cons of the old 
>> processes and use them were suitable. 
> 
> I certainly suspect that all that talent and work going into these 
> materials has and will continue to produce some very good results.  
> On the other hand, one "pro" to me which is a huge "con" to them is 
> that these old materials can't be patented.  If there is a simple 
> open-source approach to our medium that works reasonably well, it 
> gives us a baseline to judge the value of what the "thousands of 
> chemists" can come up with.

Paul,

The message wasn't meant to be harsh on what you intend to 
do. I like your experiments. But no so long  ago all kinds 
of old processes were mentioned here in the mood that all 
the inkjet developments right now were not worth what was 
available in the past. Wilhelm swept aside in the same thread.
Strange as I observed with Wilhelm that in ten years time we 
got better color prints that last longer and are easier to 
make than 99% of the color prints made before that time. 
Carbon color may have been better but that should still be 
tested. B&W inkjet prints improved a lot on the same aspects 
but will not yet equal the best archival processes of the 
past. At least what is available right now in inkjet B&W 
will be equal to the quality most non-archival processes 
delivered then. I wrote a message as a reply on that thread 
but kept it in draft, didn't want to disturb the peace then.

That copper wire represents quite accurate the difference 
between the analogue B&W chemistry and today's inkjet 
chemistry ... the absence of heavy metals in inkjet prints. 
The archival quality of analogue B&W depended a lot on that 
whether it was its toxic quality or to harden the gelatine 
emulsion in alternative processes, both making the prints 
less biodegradable :-) That will be much harder to achieve 
in inkjet prints in the eco political climate of today and 
right so. With that in mind a lot of the "archival" 
knowledge of the past can not be used in inkjet printing.

Patents in the USA can be applied for whether there was 
prior art or not. At least the last decade it must be harder 
to have an idea that can't be patented than the opposite. 
Gum arabic is used in inkjet ink formula that are patented. 
It's just an ingredient among many.

-- 
Met vriendelijke groeten, Ernst


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