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Thread: Archival inkjet *papers* (not ink). Do they exist?

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    Archival inkjet *papers* (not ink). Do they exist?

    While the whole inkjet industry runs around claiming centuries of archivability, I've found that every non-matte surface I've tested has yellowed, some quite significantly. Most matte surfaces have yellowed as well. Most of my prints are in a very dark corner of the room and the air quality here is fine. I'm sure acid-free/cold/low humidity storage will help but really, what good is a 200 year archival ink on 3 month non-archival paper? Other than common sense (acid-free etc.) specs, does anyone know of a reliable website that has any info regarding archival papers and not inks? I prefer to print on semi-matte/luster type papers but have yet to find any that last.

  2. #2

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    Archival inkjet *papers* (not ink). Do they exist?

    http://www.wilhelm-research.com/

    That little lot should keep you busy for a while.

    The problem you will have is that the manufacturers change the formulation of the coating they put on the papers so todays best papers may not be tomorrows. In 50 years time who will know what inks were used and which paper/coating was used. Who will care since if the digital file has been archived then it can just be reprinted since the skill was in the production of the digital file and not in the printing of the file. I shouldn't worry about it if I were you. I know lots of people like to claim their work is archival but I think its of little importance unless you are trying to get someone to part with mega bucks. The obvious answer is to provide the buyer with a digital backup of the file so that in the event the print doesn't stand the test of time, they can just reprint it. Its foolproof insurance for your buyers.

  3. #3

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    Archival inkjet *papers* (not ink). Do they exist?

    For starters you might try doing some reading on Wilhelm's web site http://www.wilhelm-research.com. His tests are the basis for some of the industry claims to which you refer. If you go into "Articles from PC World" and look at the article titled "The Fade Factor" you'll find information about papers. There's probably other stuff on his site about papers as well, that just happens to be one article I've seen before.

    I use only matte paper so I can't comment on glossy or semi-gloss papers. However, I haven't found any yellowing on my ink jet prints made on a variety of matte papers but mostly Hahnemuhle Rag and Moab Entrada. What papers have you been using and with which inks?Epson Enahnced Matte is an inexpensive paper that is known to yellow a little in a short period of time so if that's what you've been using it's not surprising that you'd get some yellowing. However, if you've been using better quality matte papers and are still getting yellowing I think you're doing something wrong somewhere, maybe how they're displayed, maybe how they're stored, maybe something else. I'm no expert but I know that a lot of different factors affect the life of a print..
    Brian Ellis
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  4. #4
    Abuser of God's Sunlight
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    Archival inkjet *papers* (not ink). Do they exist?

    livick.com also has some interesting aging tests, done in full sun, and also in autoclaves to accelerate chemical deterioration.

    some long-held assumptions don't always hold up: sometimes coated papers do better than uncoated, and sometimes papers with optical brighteners resist yellowing more than papers without. photorag (which has brighteners) seems to do particularly well in his tests.

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    Abuser of God's Sunlight
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    Archival inkjet *papers* (not ink). Do they exist?

    inidentally, most of these papers are higher quality than the bases of gelatin silver papers. i love fortezo, but i'm pretty sure the base is not 100% cotton. is it acid and lignin free? who knows? no one seems to publish that information. nor do they publish what's in their coatings or their OBAs, so it's not like these questions are new to the photo world.

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    Archival inkjet *papers* (not ink). Do they exist?

    Thanks for all of the responses. I am familiar with Wilhelm Research. Much of his tests revolve around ink archivability and paper fading.

    At any rate, perhaps I just missed it, but I could not find any info on non-matte surfaces anywhere which is my main concern (his website is a PITA to say the least). As for the surfaces I've used, I have printed primarily on Enhanced Matte but have also seen some very slight yellowing on Archival matte, hahnemuhle photo rag 188 (very slight) and all of the Pictorico non-matte surfaces. I was wondering if the Canon and HP surfaces are a bit better in this regard ( I doubt it but who knows). Prints have been stored out in the open but in a dark, non-humid environment. Most of my RC silver prints are fine with just a couple discolored but all of my fiber prints are as good as new. Regarding the inkjet papers, remember I'm not talking years here but months!

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    Kirk Gittings's Avatar
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    Archival inkjet *papers* (not ink). Do they exist?

    " I have printed primarily on Enhanced Matte but have also seen some very slight yellowing on Archival matte"

    Two papers very well known for significant yellowing! Willhelm talks about these specific papers.
    Thanks,
    Kirk

    at age 73:
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    But I have promises to keep,
    And miles to go before I sleep,
    And miles to go before I sleep"

  8. #8

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    Archival inkjet *papers* (not ink). Do they exist?

    I think most papers that contain 'optical brighteners' will yellow over time - even 'art' papers not intended for 'inkjet use'. I did an informal test by cutting prints in half and, over a six month period, left one half unprotected sitting in the back of my car's window, the other half stored in a 'box' at home. Enhanced Matte and Velvet Fine Art yellowed considerably, Moab Entrada and Ultrasmooth Fine Art showed no change. The one interesting thing - while the EM and VFA papers yellowed the image itself (ie. pigment ink) showed no change (visually) in density or colour.

  9. #9

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    Archival inkjet *papers* (not ink). Do they exist?

    Thanks for all of the responses...

    Fair enough. I'm not surprised to see cheaper papers such as EEM fade and/or yellow. But what about non-matte surfaces? And how about the Canon and HP surfaces. Wilhelm research states the obvious in their reports. To maximize permanence, keep behind uv glass, store in low humidity environment etc. etc. etc. but why are my papers turning to garbage in six months or so. It's one thing for a print to survive behind glass. I'd like to be able to hold my prints in my hand 4 or 5 years from now and see exactly what I see now! I'd also like to be able to sell prints without any caveats or files attached and know that should their owners not get around to framing them behind uv glass immediately, they will survive for a while unframed. I'm just disappointed to see this issue take a back seat to all of the concerns about ink permanence.

  10. #10
    Abuser of God's Sunlight
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    Archival inkjet *papers* (not ink). Do they exist?

    "I'm just disappointed to see this issue take a back seat to all of the concerns about ink permanence."

    I don't think it really takes a back seat. Wilhelm looks at the overall stability of a paper/ink combination. yellowing of the paper measurably influences this.

    Livick specifically tests paper yellowing. I'm surprised you had photorag yellow; I've never heard of that before. Livick found it to be extremely stable.

    He also doesn't find any real correlation between yellowing and optical brighteners (even though this is assumed to be the case by a lot of people). in his tests moab entrada (no brighteners) yellowed a lot while photorag (brighteners) hardly did at all. remember that many gelatin silver papers have optical brighteners too.

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