Inkjet inks that will hold up in sunlight?

KN
Posted By
Ken_Nielsen
Jul 21, 2004
Views
370
Replies
16
Status
Closed
A friend of mine is posting outdoor ads in a glass frame where sunlight is fading the prints in just a few days. Any ideas on how he can still print on his printer and get a product that will hold up better in sunlight?

My first thought is spray fixatif.

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MO
Mike_Ornellas
Jul 21, 2004
Solvent based ink set.
L
Larryr544
Jul 22, 2004
UV glass with Epson dye based inks.
WG
Welles_Goodrich
Jul 22, 2004
What kind of printer?

The inks I use…

<http://www.inksupply.com/index.cfm?source=html/inks.html>
P
povimage
Jul 22, 2004
Welles recommended one of the two inks I would recommend.

The MIS archivals found at his URL are one option.

I’d actually recommend the Generations Elite/Outdoor inks just a bit more..

they are at:

< http://www.mediastreet.com/cgi-bin/tame/mediastreet/o_genera tions_bulk.tam?anchor=#top>

Let me know which company you plan to use (I have outstanding relationships with the owners of both MIS AND MediaStreet) and I shall make sure they take care of you…

Keith
WG
Welles_Goodrich
Jul 22, 2004
Keith,

Have you been able to assess the difference in gamut between the two? I first started with Media Street but they sold me some papers which were supposed to run through my Epson 3000 but were in fact too thick for the printer to use. My experience was later confirmed by numerous Epson repair experts and yet Media Street tech support kept telling me that they worked just fine on their machines. I’m afraid I quit believing them and looked for other suppliers. I settled on MIS continuous flow systems and papers from Inkjet Mall.
B
Buko
Jul 22, 2004
Does anyone know how the Epson UltraChrome inks hold up in sunlight? they are supposed to last for 108 years.
MO
Mike_Ornellas
Jul 22, 2004
according to who?

Epson?

get real!
WG
Welles_Goodrich
Jul 22, 2004
The most respected ink durability information comes from the Wilhelm Imaging Research…(Check out the Epson 9600 UltraChrome PDF, top download in left hand column.)

<http://www.wilhelm-research.com/>

Every paper/ink/display combination varies in longevity so no single figure is reasonable. From everything I’ve read over the last five years (plus creating my own prints and throwing them out in direct sunlight), I would be absolutely amazed if any ink/paper combination would not show fading within one year if exposed to direct sunlight for 8 hours a day…no matter what ink/paper combination was used.
MO
Mike_Ornellas
Jul 22, 2004
accelerated time exposure lab tests to depict a "normal" fade rate is nothing but BS>
B
Buko
Jul 22, 2004
according to who?

Epson?

Of coarse. who else?

I just put a print in the window full sun. I’ll see how long it lasts.
CC
Conrad_Chavez
Jul 22, 2004
Does anyone know how the Epson UltraChrome inks hold up in sunlight? they are supposed to last for 108 years.

Sunlight is many times more intense than the test conditions under which manufacturers base their claims. For fine art prints, the advice is always "Don’t ever let sunlight touch that print." For short-term ads, the outdoor inks listed above are another way to go.

Also gotta keep in mind that light-based fade tests are only good for light-based fading. They don’t measure fading caused by non-light causes like pollution (anybody remember the Epson Orange Shift?).
KN
Ken_Nielsen
Jul 22, 2004
This is the input I was looking for. We are headed for some 100+ degree weather now (right Buko?) and I suspect that is why this issue came up. Standard inkjets and laser prints just can’t survive direct sunlight for too long. I’m sure my friend will get useful help from these posts.

Thanks,

Ken

PS: Buko’s print in the window during the next few days, I should drive by and check it. after two days of arc-light intensity those pages should be burnt to a crisp. Maybe rubbing some sun-tan oil over the final print would help.
R
Ram
Jul 22, 2004
We hit 105 yesterday down here. It’s supposed to be a little hotter today. Maybe I’ll put out a couple of 4×6 print rejects (wrong orientation) to see how many minutes or hours they last. 🙂
AS
Ann_Shelbourne
Jul 22, 2004
Suggestion:

Cover half of the print with thick black card — the fading will then be much more apparent.

My guess is that the Magenta will fade more than the Cyan (with Yellow performing between the other two).
WG
Welles_Goodrich
Jul 23, 2004
Yellow is by far the most difficult ink for chemists to create for increased light fast permanance (in ink jet printer inks). It still degrades first followed by magenta and cyan which is least effected by light exposure.
L
Larryr544
Jul 23, 2004
We can all start selling pre-faded prints. It’ll be the latest hit!

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Easy-to-use drag-n-drop Photoshop scene creator with more than 2800 items.

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