Printing photos that don't fade

[mamajan]

I have a relatively inexpensive inkjet printer (Canon i960) it prints beautiful photos on good paper. Unfortunately they fade fairly quickly. What kind of printer and ink would be able to print really good quality photos that would last? I don't ant to spend a ton of money. I am not sure where to start with this. Can anyone help me?
whttp://forums.photographyreview.com/images/smilies/rolleyes.gif

[SmartWombat]

What matters most is the ink that's used.
Are you using Canon ink, or cheaper cartridges ?

I thought Canon claimed 25 year life, under certain conditions.
Which brings me on to how you store or display the photos.
Are these prints in bright sunlight ?

I have a picture on a friend's wall printed 10 years ago with a HP deskjet.
It's still as bright as ever, but it's an inside wall, and doesn't get direct sunlight.
So even though they are not archival pigment inks, they lasted well.

This seems quite a good overview of print permanence: http://www.nifty-stuff.com/docs/inkjet-fading.php
This is also very interesting: http://www.livick.com/method/inkjet/pg1.htm

[mn shutterbug]

I just navigated to wilhelm-research.com, a well known source for testing longevity of papers and inks, and was quite amazed. A photo that may last 25 years with the manufacturers ink, may show fading after just a couple months, with refilled cartridges. This includes cartridges from Office Depot and Staples. I've always purchased refilled cartridges because they are so much cheaper. For something you want to last more than a couple months, it's not worth it.

[redonnemoi]

use a Sony DPPEX-50 dye sublimation printer ;) it makes lab quality prints that do not have pixels if you know how to resize your photographs

[SmartWombat]

True, but the "don't want to spend a ton of money" is an issue.
You get what you pay for though.

My problem with dye sublimation is the care of the prints, and transfer onto other surfaces.

[Orgnoi1]

Unfortunately we do not really know enough to give you a good suggestion. What ink and paper are you using? Canon printers are fussy when it comes to paper (even with Canon ink) so its important to use something that will work. I have tested a TON of different papers in my i9900 and ended up with three that really work well and dont fade using Canon inks... those three are Canon paper (of course), Ilford Printasia, and Tetenal Fine Art. The Ilford paper is what I use for my day to day sales... its fast drying and does retain colors (especially blacks which is where other papers such as HP fade) really well. I use the Tetenal when I am putting up pictures for a display or for framed sales... the papers a ton more expensive... takes about a day to dry 100% but is probably one of the best papers (especially for black and white shots) due to its deep look.

[SmartWombat]

I'm currently using the Ilford Classic (gloss and pearl).

[masdog]

I have a relatively inexpensive inkjet printer (Canon i960) it prints beautiful photos on good paper. Unfortunately they fade fairly quickly. What kind of printer and ink would be able to print really good quality photos that would last? I don't ant to spend a ton of money. I am not sure where to start with this. Can anyone help me?
whttp://forums.photographyreview.com/images/smilies/rolleyes.gif

Mamajan,

The best answer would be - it depends. As with anything, it depends on what you want to spend. There are some beautiful printers that use archival inks rated for 100 years +, but they can be fairly pricey.

What sizes do you want to print, and how much do you use your current printer? Where are you going to be exhibiting your images?

[readingr]

If I want photos that will not fade for a long time then I send them to photobox in the UK who print them on Fuji laser printers on FujiFilm Crystal Archive photographic paper which is rated at 150 years.

I only use my Canon for testing the prints and printing ones I like which will be changed over time.

Roger

[DEvianT]

The new Canon i6700D A4 printer prints using it's BCI-8xx inks which are rated for 100 years on Canon papers. The printer is £85 ish. Quality is excellent. I use one for proofing and documents.

More expensive is the HP 9180 A3+ printer as around £400. Uses pigment inks and the prints are rated for 200+ years. So gallery standard stuff really.

Bigger than that send them away to a reputable printer unless you are a pro printing in huge volume then it's worth buying your own large format machine. ( But if that was the case you'd not be asking this question! ;o) )

[readingr]

The new Canon i6700D A4 printer prints using it's BCI-8xx inks which are rated for 100 years on Canon papers. The printer is £85 ish. Quality is excellent. I use one for proofing and documents.
)

I use the same printer and find it excellent - highly recommended.

Roger

[DEvianT]

Another good point with the Canon inkjets is the costs to run are quite low compared to some equivalent printers in the same class.

[ciddog91]

For stuff my wife and her freinds like to scrap book or the stuff I have for my house, I have the same printer and I use Canon ink and Canon paper. I have tried Staples ink and paper. The paper look great at the start, but does seem to fade slightly (not real noticable) after about 4-6 months. On Canon paper, I have not found any fade. All of mine have been in the house and not exposed to alot of direct sunlight.

Bootm line if you are using this printer, use the ink made for it and use Canon paper... I think you will like the results...

Phil

[mamajan]

I have been using Kodak premium photo paper. I have been refilling my cartridges. It has saved me a lot of money but I guess now I'm learning about the negative aspects of doing so. :blush2: I will get some factory ink and see how it works out. I don't really think the printer is the problem because the prints come out very nice, they just don't last. I don't really print bigger than 8 X 10 although I certainly could if I wanted to considering the camera I use. I might consider moving up to a larger printer in the future that will be strictly dedicated to my photos.
Thank you to all of you for your input.

[DEvianT]

I tried out the Kodak paper a while ago and really wasn't keen on the results. The finish seemed to look poor and take much longer to dry. (Making me think the ink sits on the surface and is not absorbed at all). Ha no such trouble with canon papers or Illford both of which I have found to be excellent. Top paper I have tried is Hahumel which while pricey is totally beautiful.

[readingr]

I tried out the Kodak paper a while ago and really wasn't keen on the results. The finish seemed to look poor and take much longer to dry. (Making me think the ink sits on the surface and is not absorbed at all). Ha no such trouble with canon papers or Illford both of which I have found to be excellent. Top paper I have tried is Hahumel which while pricey is totally beautiful.

Was this printed using the Canon Inks on the Hahumel?

I agree about the Kodak - but I find it okay for a test paper especially as its cheaper than what I normally print on.

Roger

[DEvianT]

Yes canon inks but using their pigment inks on a larger format printer.

[beatyjenyns]

hi,
canon printers are not so good, if one uses a quality ink and Good photo paper, then you can prevent photos from fade. i had similar problem then i changed my photo paper and I have to say the prints were beautiful on both the gloss and satin.
I highly reccommend you check out their free SAMPLES.
A free course on digital photo printing also comes with the samples.
hope this may help u.

cheers
beaty

[readingr]

hi,
canon printers are not so good, if one uses a quality ink and Good photo paper, then you can prevent photos from fade. i had similar problem then i changed my photo paper and I have to say the prints were beautiful on both the gloss and satin.
I highly reccommend you check out their free SAMPLES.
A free course on digital photo printing also comes with the samples.
hope this may help u.

cheers
beaty

Beaty,

Not sure I understand what your trying to say.

Are you saying that Canon printers are not good or that Canon paper and inks are not good?

I have used a Canon for some time and I have no problem with Canon Paper or ink fading.

Roger

[transparency]

The new Canon i6700D A4 printer prints using it's BCI-8xx inks which are rated for 100 years on Canon papers. The printer is £85 ish. Quality is excellent. I use one for proofing and documents.

Looks like it's perfect one, I will consider this one when I buy new printer this December.