Permanence of images printed on metal or glass ?

[Ken Lee]

In recent years people have been printing onto glass and metal.

Aside from the obvious physical benefits like scratch-resistance and greater rigidity, are these methods any more lightfast than modern inkjet printing ?

By lightfast, I mean resistant to fading and color-shifting due to prolonged light exposure, environmental gases, etc.

Thanks !

[Peter De Smidt]

Fading is determined by the image media and the color and brightness of the backing media. A strong substrate will protect from physical damage, but there's also the issue of the image material bonding to the substrate. If, for example, the two have different rates of expansion and contraction, whether due to temperature or humidity, then the differential movements can cause problems.

[Tin Can]

Who knows, I have only one, 12X12". It's 5 years old. A test...

This is the original file and the print on my wall looks exactly the same

Notice the airplane upper right, which I never saw shooting it

The Bean by TIN CAN COLLEGE, on Flickr

[Ken Lee]

Here's a description from a vendor of Chromaluxe metal prints:

"In the hard surface dye sublimation industry, an image is printed onto dye sublimation transfer paper using dye-based inks and then transferred onto a specially coated surface with heat and pressure. The result is stunning with vibrant color and a unique dimensional quality. The image is not simply printed on TOP of the surface, it is embedded INTO the surface. We use only Chromaluxe sublimatable HD aluminum in our metal printing program.

...ChromaLuxe metal prints were tested by Wilhelm Imaging Research and achieved a permanence rating of more than 60 years using two distinct ink sets. This rating is more than three times better than silver halide photo papers...

...ChromaLuxe aluminum and wood panels are not for permanent outdoor display. Any prints displayed outdoors will result in faster than normal fade."

My understanding of the Wilhelm rating scheme is that after 65 years of subdued lighting, color fading and shifting become noticeable. In other words, it starts from day zero but crosses a Wilhelm-defined threshold. Under brighter lighting, color fading/shifting is accelerated accordingly.

[Oren Grad]

...ChromaLuxe metal prints were tested by Wilhelm Imaging Research and achieved a permanence rating of more than 60 years using two distinct ink sets. This rating is more than three times better than silver halide photo papers...

...and a fraction of the ratings that current and recent pigment-based inkjet inksets achieve. Dye sub is consistently substantially less stable than pigment inkjet in these endurance tests.

[Thad Gerheim]

I have people ask "why don't you print on metal, it's archival ratings are among the best?". All I have to do is have them go about 60 feet from my door to look at some artwork from a very well known Idaho artist that's printed on metal. Which after seven years it's faded so bad that you can barely see anything! Granted, it's outside and on a south facing wall. But, I noticed after three years there was severe fading. I've had photos hanging in south facing windows for more than three years with no fading that I could see, even by peaking under the mat.

[Tin Can]

However with the right image Metal Prints are outstanding

I am sure my sample will outlive me by decades as I hang it inside, away from any window and don't light it

Yet it POPS on the wall with other prints

YMMV