Digital Focus: Make Your Photo Prints Last

Feature: Preserving Your Ink Jet Prints

Just like memories, old movies, and eyesight, pictures inevitably fade. It doesn't matter what kind of photograph you have; the ink eventually fades and you end up with a picture that looks like it came from an antique store. Prints made from 35mm film tend to fade noticeably in less than a century, while most ink jet prints fade in a fraction of that time.

So what can you do about it? First, acknowledge that your digital photos won't last forever. Second, remember that you can keep the original digital file around and reprint it whenever your print is no longer fun to look at.

This week, I've provided a few tips for getting the most longevity out of your ink jet photos.

The Roots of Fading

So why do prints fade? If we know the cause, we may be able to stave off the inevitable a bit longer. It turns out that ink jet printer inks are sensitive to ultraviolet light. As a consequence, your images will fade faster if exposed to direct sunlight for extended periods.

That's not all. Some inks are also sensitive to airborne chemicals and contaminants--especially ozone. The solution to that problem is simple: Protect your prints from direct exposure to the air. Ideally, that means storing them in deep space. If that's not possible, keeping your prints under glass or plastic can preserve them for a very long time.

How Long?

When properly protected--that's a caveat all ink jet paper manufacturers use when describing their paper--you should expect most modern printers to create images that last from 5 to 50 years before fading. For example, Epson's standard Photo Paper has a rated life of 6 years before fading, while its ColorLife Photo Paper is rated for 27 years.

In addition, some ink jet printers are designed to produce images with extremely long resistance to fading. Most garden-variety ink jet printers use dye-based ink. Intended for serious photo enthusiasts, pigment-based ink jet printers (like the Epson Stylus Photo 2200) can deliver a print life of well over 100 years, according to their vendors. Pigment-based inks aren't as vibrant as dye inks, though, so some folks prefer the shorter-lasting prints.

Taking Precautions

Armed with that knowledge, you can take a few easy steps to give your prints the longest possible life span.

Start with the printer, paper, and inks. I've said it before, and I still believe it's true: Use inks made for your printer, not inexpensive replacements. Also, do some comparison shopping and buy paper that's designed to be "archive quality" or to deliver the longest lightfastness. Typically, you'll find that this stuff costs about a dollar per page--certainly not cheap, but it's affordable if you use it only to make the final print.

Once you print a photo, allow it to dry completely before placing anything on it. Although an ink jet print may feel dry to the touch in minutes, it actually takes about 12 hours to dry. Once the print is dry, protect it by sliding it into a plastic sleeve or covering it with glass. If you're filing the image in a photo album, you're done. As long as you store the album in a reasonably dry environment, your pictures will last a very long time, since the photos will have virtually no exposure to air or light.

If you plan to frame your picture and hang it on the wall, though, be careful about where you put it. Keep it out of direct sunlight, for instance, even when it's behind glass. Try to hang the print where the sun won't shine directly on it. And if the print will be routinely exposed to direct sunlight, consider using UV-shielded glass, which is available at most framing shops.

Finally--and this may seem obvious, but newcomers to digital photography don't always think of it--let me suggest that once you've printed an image, don't throw away the original digital file. If you keep the file, you can reprint faded or damaged images whenever you need to. CD-Rs make an inexpensive and reliable way to archive your photo files, if you store them carefully in a dark location where they won't get scratched. (Here's another situation where you don't want to pinch pennies: Buy high-quality discs from a recognized manufacturer.)

PCWorld.com did an investigative report on the topic of print fading about a year ago. Much of the information in "Fight Photo Fade-Out" is still useful; check it out for more details.