> In-Reply-To: <35112E9D.B99B0F92@csus.edu>
> > Any output by
> > a comuter is a million miles away from being archival, even with UV
> > coatings.
> > The UV coatings (I don't care what the manufacturer says) turn yellow
> > almost
> > from day one.
>
> Not true - as the best prints coming from computers at the moment emerge
> on to the very same paper that are used for other photographic prints and
> thus have exactly the same life scale.
Let's make certain we are comparing apples with apples here. The original
topic was dye sublimation prints and their overall life expectancy and
stability. From what I've read, these ARE expected to fade in a matter of
years.
There are methods for generating computer output now that print directly
to "traditional" color photographic paper. This sounds like what you are
describing. If I remember correctly what I've seen is a Fuji product.
Also, I've only seen these at some of the professional photo labs. I
don't believe that it is a consumer item. There are quite a few printers
available to produce so called "photo quality prints". Not all of them
use the same dyes, pigments, inks, or papers, so not all will have the
same expected lifetimes.
For the most part I believe that digital imaging technology has been
driven by the magazine and advertising industry. The stability of a
magazine or advertisement image over more than a few months or years is
not usually an issue, and hasn't been a prime consideration until
recently.
- Wayde
(wallen@boulder.nist.gov)