RE: Expected Life of Epson Ink + Archival Paper??

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At 05:47 AM 1/25/2000 -0800, Michael Greer wrote:
  >Gary,
  >
  >Where is this evidence? There are controlled lab tests that rate ink/paper for
  >longevity based on light exposure. But where is the evidence that concludes
  >that light exposure is more critical to print life than air exposure?

You're defending what I'm not attacking--all I meant by "increased 
exposure to light will cause prints to fade faster" was the obvious--
more light, faster fading.

  >At this point, I believe there is a cross over point. Above certain light
  >levels (direct sunlight for example), light is the main culprit. Below certain
  >light levels (indoor non direct sunlight for example), air exposure becomes the
  >main source for fading.

As a general statement, this would seem to be indisputable.  
After all, If the atmospheric conditions have any effect on print life 
at all, there is certainly some (sufficiently low) light level at which 
this effect will exceed the light effects.  And it is clear that a
sufficiently high light level can fade prints so quickly that other
effects don't have time to do much.

So my questions are: (1) are there effects on life from air
exposure; (2) if so, what are they; and (3) at what levels do
they become significant compared to light/UV fading?  In my
admittedly non-expert view,the answers are:

(1) almost certainly  [The 'almost' is only a minor hedge--maybe
     the inks fade due to reactions with the paper, regardless of
     air exposure.  Has anybody stored prints in a vacuum yet?]
(2) no idea--would appear to be a question for an environmental
     chemist or some such who could determine what attacks
     the dyes.  Insufficient data.
(3) Insufficient data again--but I don't think simple testing is
      going to prove anything until (2) is addressed.  Without
      a hypothesis to test for, what we will know is what we know
      now--inkjet prints will fade to some greater or lesser extent 
      even in the absence of light.  If someone can establish,
      for example, that the fading is accelerated in the presence
      of moisture, or ozone (or sulfur dioxide, or name your poison), 
      then it will be possible to do controlled testing that answers 
      some useful questions in this area.

Until then, what you believe is as good as (if not better than)
what I believe.  (In truth, I don't even disagree with you.)  What 
we need here is a little genuine research--and somebody
to pay for it.  Is Epson listening out there?

Gary Hunt <glh@srv.net>

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