Storing inkjets prints

[Darin Boville]

I've searched and googled and here are my questions:

1) What are the right boxes to store my inkjet prints in? I know about the expensive Archival Methods type stuff ($27 for a 17x22 box!) but do I really need something that expensive? It seems like most boos are made from acid-free paper nowadays. The cost of materials can't be *that* high. I would keep them in the boxes they came in but the paper I use (Ilford Gold Silk) has flimsy boxes.

2) Inkjet prints are surprisingly fragile, especially to surface damage. Shouldn't I be interleaving these somehow for storage purposes? What to use?

3) Oh, that smell! If I open a box of prints that I have stored for a while I can still smell the solvent. Hmmmm. How long should I leave the print sour before storing them, to let the solvent stuff evaporate? Does this issue impact how I should store ink jets?

--Darin

[Greg Lockrey]

I use acetate bags I get from Clear Bags and store loose in a drawer in one of those print file cabinets. Ink jets are water base, there is no solvent. Must be the pigment your smelling.... I never noticed it.

[Darin Boville]

>>.... I never noticed it.<<

You're kidding me! I have to open the door to the deck to get fresh air in when I'm doing heavy duty printing. Clear bags is a good idea...

--Darin

[Jim Michael]

Water based doesn't mean there aren't solutes included for things like keeping nozzles from drying out. Could be glycols, formaldehyde, etc. Folks seem to equate lack of VOCs with 'safe' but not necessarily so.

[jeroldharter]

I keep mind on the dashboard of my truck.

[Ken Lee]

I printed and framed a set of photos for a show a while back, a few weeks before the show. When the images were hung, I was shocked to see a sort of "negative" on the underside of the glass on every photo. It was out-gassing from the injket ink.

One framer I consulted, told me that he sometimes dries the prints with a hair dryer (gently of course) to speed up the out-gassing process before framing.

I can smell the solvents when printing. They're not like house paint, but it's there.

[Greg Lockrey]

>>.... I never noticed it.<<

You're kidding me! I have to open the door to the deck to get fresh air in when I'm doing heavy duty printing. Clear bags is a good idea...

--Darin

I run 3 9600's either I have a perpetual cold or I just can't smell anymore

[Nathan Potter]

Good question. I wonder about storage also. I'm beginning to make some inkjets that are worth keeping.

So I have mounted them with archival paper tabs on foamcore board for rigidity then placed them each in a polypro clear 17 X 22 + size envelope (from Print File). Then they are stacked and stored vertically. Prints are dried in air for minimum 4 days prior to enveloping.

Seems like this should be OK but maybe not for the purest among us. Dunno.
I have recently delivered to a few customers this way, where they desire to have the framing done.

Nate Potter, Austin TX.

[Greg Lockrey]

It could be the coating on the paper you use.... I use strictly Epson papers. Seriously never noticed any odor. I even have some ink in old film canisters to use for touch up work and they have a very slight odor.... hint of formaldehyde I would guess.

[Sideshow Bob]

I think it is called "out gassing" (print farts?). What I heard is you should stack the prints with brown paper in between each for a few days or use a hair dryer or mounting press.

Gale