10.3 PAPERS AND INKS

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Papers and inks have affects on both the initial image quality and eventual archival quality. When images fade, memories are lost. This has been a problem throughout the history of photography. Most papers, inks, and toners have unknown archival qualities. If you have the original digital file, this is no problem. But will you be able to find it ten years from now? And if you can, will the media still be readable. No media is permanent and you may be out of luck.

To check on the archival quality of printers, you might want to visit Wilhelm Imaging Research, Inc or

International Association of Fine art Digital printers.

Artists care much more about longevity than commercial users because their prints are expected to last as long as possible in private and museum collections. A comparative table of print processes can be found at Wilhelm's site.

Papers

Color photographs printed on regular paper with an ink-jet printer lack density, contrast, brilliance, and sharpness. Part of this problem is due to the paper itself. Its surface is rough, dull and absorbs ink. If you look at a photographic print, you’ll see that the paper is brighter, heavier, and the surface is smoother and less porous. Your ink-jet prints can get much closer to photographic print quality if you print on special photographic printing paper. These inkjet papers are specially coated, glossy, and heavier to make it look and feel very much like conventional photo paper. You can also use transparency film that has a special coating to give you bold, vibrant colors and sharp text. Your choices are amazing and have a huge affect on your results. Shop around on the Web, or visit your local computer or office supply store to see what's available.

Fine Arts Papers

Digital images can be printed on a wide variety of materials ranging from metal to paper. Because of the wide range of possible materials, the generic term "substrate" is used for the media on which we print. The term "substrate" literally means, "the surface on which an organism lives." In the case of paper, a substrate begins as a base product produced by a paper mill. This raw product is then coated with different water and solvent based solutions to give it characteristics that allow it to accept an inkjet print.

As photographers become more concerned with the longevity of their digital prints, fine art papers are becoming more popular. These papers, already widely used in the arts world for prints and paintings, last hundreds of years. When you use these papers for digital photographs the issue is the ink stability, not the stability of the paper. Paper makers are working on papers that will interact most effectively with the water-soluble inks used for digital printmaking.

Fine Art Media vs. Conventional Media

There is a distinct difference between conventional photo grade paper and fine art paper. Fine art media is not only more substantial and richly textured, it's long-lasting. Fine art media is typically made from 100% cotton (except canvas which is usually 50% cotton & 50% polyester). It’s also acid-free and buffered against atmospheric acids. (Buffering neutralizes acids in the paper or environment using an alkaline substance such as usually calcium carbonate.) The media will last for centuries while providing a rich and elegant look. Virtually all fine art media are made by the same traditional methods that have been in use for hundreds of years. The materials used in these unique crafting methodologies are simple and pure and the process is environmentally friendly.

Why use Fine Art Media? The weight or thickness of fine art media is one key consideration. If you close you eyes and feel most typical inkjet media, you will realize that the differences between them are negligible. When you close you eyes and feel fine art media, the textures and the thickness in the stock are immediately apparent. The difference is like comparing a blade of grass to a rose petal. These unique substantive properties make fine art media the best choice for framing and display work.

Who is using Fine Art Media? Most users of desktop fine art media are professional photographers, graphics artists, and artists. However, more and more amateur photographers and desktop publishers are using fine art media to make their work unique and highly distinguishable from the work of their friends or competitors. Photographers and artists can publish promotional and presentation pieces or self-publish their work with desktop systems and fine art media. Several photographic and artists studios are also beginning to use an array of desktop printers in creating archival prints. They are finding that in some cases, the results can be equivalent to prints produced with more expensive methodologies.

Unique Properties

Henry Wilhelm of Wilhelm Imaging Research Inc. determined that coated papers don't have the archival properties of non-coated papers and thus coated papers are not truly considered a fine art media. When ink is applied to a coated paper, it's not absorbed as much. The ink on coated paper is raised and therefore exposed more to chemical agents in the atmosphere, lending to quicker degradation. Prints on coated paper can be fabulous in the short term but do not lend themselves to archival usage. Uncoated papers such as Arches Cold Press and Somerset Velvet provide the best interaction with archival inks. Arches Cold Press Paper, which provides the greatest longevity when used with the most permanent ink sets—currently Iris Equipoise and Lyson Fine Art—works well with these inks because of three factors: surface, whiteness, and the amount to which the ink spreads after it hits the paper.

The whiteness of the paper also affects the image: the whiter the paper, the greater the color contrast between it and the ink. For example, Arches paper has been used in printmaking for hundreds of years. Although it is incredibly stable, it did turn color slightly from white to light ivory as it aged. Today the paper's pH has been slightly lowered to counteract that change so this very white paper will retain its whiteness over the years. How much the dot of ink spreads when it hits the surface of the paper affects image clarity and printability. The reason Arches performs so well is that is allows very little spreading of the ink, to create a sharper image.

Somerset papers are also high on the list for printmakers. They still offer a high ink longevity, 20-40 years before noticeable fading occurs and are available in a variety of finishes: velvet, satin, rough and textured. Printmakers and artists have a lot of options to play with.

Most desktop fine art papers in use are papers that are currently being used in high-end digital printing. Somerset for example is the standard paper used in Iris printing. Papers designed specifically for the digital printmaker are just now becoming available and are ideal for the water-based dyes used in most inkjet printers. The pH of these papers is higher, something that's good for the paper, but not for the inks. There are also papers are being designed that have pushed the pH down a bit, made the sheet as white as possible and added a water-resistant seal to the paper fibers for longevity.

Inks and Longevity

As with papers, there are two important points about inks: their quality and their durability. Most inks fade very quickly when exposed to direct sunlight. However, most also fade in dim light so you can't count on hanging them on the wall for years like you can traditional photographs. Inks are improving and some, like Ilfojet Archiva Ink will last 20 years before fading 25%. Some printers place a protective film over the final image to protect it from mechanical abrasion and from UV light that would otherwise fade the image over time.

Dye diffusion printing uses transparent dyes. Ink jet printers also use transparent dyes, or in some cases, transparent pigments. A dye is a colorant that is dissolved in the ink, while a pigment is a suspension of colorant particles.

The Luminos Photo Corporation carries a line of inkjet photographic papers and inks that have been designed to produce prints that will resist fading in indoor lighting. Their Lumijet Fine Art Preservation Series Media uses "an ink-receiving layer that does not impair the fade resistant characteristics" of their new Lumijet Fine Art Preservation Inks. The color Preservation Inks are available in two different sets for Epson inkjet printers.

• Preservation Platinum, is said to have a fade resistance of 65-70 years when used with the Preservation Series Media under "average display conditions."
• Preservation Silver offers an average display life of 25-30 years.

The papers, in sizes from 8.5"x11" to 17"x22", include Gallery Gloss with the look and feel of conventional glossy photographic paper; Soft Suede with a soft matte finish; Classic Velour with a velvet-like feel; Flaxen Weave that replicates the fabric used in Renaissance wall hangings; and Museum Parchment, which resembles parchment paper.

One thing you may have noticed about inks is their high price. Printer manufacturers often price their printers low and make their big money in the consumables. It's the old razor/razor blade concept. They try to increase their profits in two ways: selling all colors in a combined package and keeping you tied to their own inks. Most printers print images using CMYK, so there are four colors of inks: cyan, magenta, yellow, and black. Most printers have a separate black cartridge but combine the cyan, magenta, and yellow into a single cartridge. Rarely if ever, will all three of these colors be consumed at the same rate. For example, if you're printing construction signs, the yellow ink is used long before the cyan and magenta. However, if all colors are in a single unit, you have to replace the entire cartridge. Better printers allow you to replace just the used up color. To keep you from using less expensive inks from other manufacturers, printer companies often tell you that doing so will void your warranty. Forcing you to buy consumables only from them is called a tie-in sales provision. In the box below is a direct quote of what the U.S. Federal Trade Commission advises manufacturers about such provisions. (The provisions in your country may vary.) If you run into a situation where the printer company tells you you must use their inks, request from them a copy of the waiver they received from the warranty staff of the FTC's Bureau of Consumer Protection that allows them to use a "tie-in sales" prohibition.