Printers that produce long lasting prints...

[Chuck Snyder]

Louise, did you look at the comparision charts on the Epson website? I
believe there's data there on many (most?) of the Epson printers...

Chuck

[Louise]

No, I didn't. Thanks Chuck, I'll go and have a look.

[brent bertram]

Louise,
In General, ( boy this is a can of worms ), pigment ink printers produce prints on the appropriate paper which can last perhaps 80 - 200 years ( nobody has ever had an inkjet print 200 years, so we're using interpolated test results here <G> ). The "other" ink type is dye based ink ( generally better colors, by the way, than pigmented ink ). The longest lived dye based prints are typically quoted , on the appropriate paper, in the 25 - 30 year range .

There is a direct correlation between the ink/paper combo. Use the wrong paper, and even a pigment ink print will not last a long time.

Some dye based ink/paper combinations show noticeable fading in less than a year.

There are two places that I know of that do this sort of testing. The Wilhelm Institute ( <http://www.wilhelm-research.com/> ) , and the Rochester Institute of Technology .

I expect, based on data from Epson, Wilhelm Institute, etc . that the prints from my Epson 890 ( on Colorlife paper and on Heavyweight Matte paper ), will last 20 years or so, without significant fading. Other papers , using the same ink, have a substantially shorter expected lifespan.

:-)

Brent

[Louise]

I just had a look, but it doesn't tell me what I want to know.

[Louise]

Thanks Brent. :o)

[Louise]

Thanks Chuck. :o)

[Chuck Snyder]

Louise, here's a link to some tech data on Epson's DuraBrite inks:

[url]http://www.epson.com/cgi-bin/Store/Search.jsp?query=durabrite&Category=Produ[/url]
cts&BV_UseBVCookie=yes&technical=&x=9&y=13

[Chuck Snyder]

Louise: One more link for you: more techie stuff on Epson printers.

[url]http://www.epson.com/cgi-bin/Store/support/supDetail.jsp?BV_UseBVCookie=yes&[/url]
oid=14411&infoType=Doc

Chuck

[Schraven Robert]

Louise,

What would be the problem if in 20 years or so your picture faded beyond recognition?

Would you then not reprint the original?

Robert

[Louise]

I have thought about that Robert, but I'm just concerned about the photos I print out for other people, especially if I've lost contact with them by the time the prints fade.

Well I hope I'll still be alive in 20 years - I'm only 28! lol!

[Bob Iden]

I am posting Chuck's links a different way, which I hope will be more clickable. Here's the first one: first <http://www.epson.com/cgi-bin/Store/Search.jsp?query=durabrite&Category=Products&BV_Us eBVCookie=yes&technical=&x=9&y=13>. And the second <http://www.epson.com/cgi-bin/Store/support/supDetail.jsp?BV_UseBVCookie=yes&oid=14411&infoTyp e=Doc>.

Bob

[Dick Smith]

Bob,

Both links opened for me.

Dick

[Chuck Snyder]

Bob, thanks - sorry I didn't post a clickable link before; didn't go back to
check to see if it would work...

:-(

Chuck

[Susan S.]

We still take both a 35mm and a digital camera to major family events - I don't want to run the risk of having non-readable formats in the future. But looking at the condition of my 35mm prints from as little as fifteen years ago (particularly the ones that were stored in high humidity when we lived in Sydney for five years) there are no guarantees....The nice thing about digital is that we actually do look at the pictures a lot more - we seem to be more inclined to run a slideshow than to pull out an album. What I haven't yet done is really worked out a way of coping with the volume of photos that a digital camera creates. I have them all filed logically in folders acording to date, and back up the folders onto CD, but they aren't labelled and organised. I've started to import the best ones into iphoto where the labelling and organisation into albums is easier - but it's a big job! (mind you my photo albums are running about ten years behind too - and I'm also in the middle of redoing the old ones that need removing form those dreadful "magnetic" sticky back albums and putting into acid free. I'm up to 1982 so far......And then there are the boxes of slides...

Susan S

[Jane Carter]

Hi Susan, Same problem! Pictures that go back generations! We live in NE USA, it is cold here in winter and rather humid and warm in summer. We have boxes and boxes of slides and family snapshots that I am trying to keep in a de-humidified area in large plastic sealed containers. It has worked so far. It has taken me months to scan only the last few years, and I have only scratched the surface of the slide digitizing project. It is so time consuming! I've bought a large external HD for pictures only, to back up all the hard work. Scans and digital.
We do use the film cameras for all family events.
I have figured out a sorting system with dates and subject of my own that seems to work. But at times I get just overwhelmed.
Sure keeps me busy in retirement!
Jane