Is inkjet printing as bad as it sounds?

["Robert L. Clemens" <RClemens@compuserve.com>]

Al,

My answer to your question is: Definitely not!

I've had an Epson 1200 since June 6. I've had several watercolor paper
prints I made that first week exposed to bright indirect sunlight as a test
and they show no signs of fading. The paper is an inexpensive brand
(Bienfang- You've all heard of that one.) that I bought at an art supply
store before I knew any better. I've made many other prints in the meantime
on this and other, more sophisticated art papers. None have shown any signs
of fading as of this writing. This includes Epson's own Photo paper, on
which I've made 1440 d.p.i. photo prints from 35mm Picture CD scans that
look like 8x10's from a photo lab.

I believe the 1200 with its own inks has gotten a bad rap. People who have
"tested" Epson 1200 prints by taping them face down on window glass exposed
to direct sunlight are not creating a real world environment, IMO. No one
would ever put ANY valuable image, photographic or inkjet, in such an
unreal location. There is not only the outrageous direct sun, but its heat
and also the surface of the print in direct contact with the glass. Heaven
knows what hardships this can wreak! It's akin to being disappointed when a
broken egg fries on a hot skillet.

No doubt there are inks with better longevity than Epson's current
formulas, and no doubt Epson prints can and will  fade. But don't let that
dissuade you from getting a 1200 and enjoying it as I have. With reasonable
care your prints will not, like the Cheshire cat from Alice in Wonderland,
fade away leaving only a smile!  :-) And things can only get better in the
coming months as fully archival inks become available for the 1200.

Bob Clemens
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