| Summary: | A DISSERTATION PRESENTED TO THE HIGHER DEGREES COMMITTEE OF
PENINSULA TECHNIKON IN PARTIAL FULFILLMENT
OF THE REQUIREMENTS FOR THE
MASTER OF TECHNOLOGY: GRAPHIC DESIGN, 2004 === Inkjet printers have evolved in recent years to the extent that many are capable
of making prints of a quality closely approximating traditional colour photographs.
These printers cost a fraction of the capital outlay needed to equip a traditional colour
darkroom and have brought high quality colour printing within the reach of a broad
spectrum of users. As they are capable of printing on a wide range of materials and
print surfaces prints from inkjet printers are also in demand by fine artists and art
collectors. Commercial printmakers, artists, photographers, and amateurs printing in
their homes or offices use these printers. The convenience, ease, and quality of inkjet
printing have made it a popular additional and alternative photographic printing
technique.
However, manufacturers seldom publish data regarding the expected life of the
printer output. With traditional colour photographs end users expect some fading to
take place with time and can normally have another print made from the original
negative. Digital images rely on storage on compact disk or computer hard drive with
potential long-term retrieval problems, and it is vital that important images be output
in print form on the most stable materials.
This study arose from the author’s concern about the archival qualities of
photographs in general.
In order to enable end users to make more informed choices about the most
suitable printing medium, this study explored two aspects concerning traditional
photographs and inkjet prints, namely cost and image permanence. The comparative
costs were found by means of a questionnaire survey conducted among a
representative sample of printmakers. The limits of image permanence were
determined by subjecting sample prints to a high-intensity light source to accelerate
the process of image fading over time to the point where the print becomes
unacceptable.
The investigation showed that inkjet prints are more expensive than traditional
photographs, and that inkjet prints made with pigment inks can last twice as long as
traditional photographs.
Different inkjet papers were found to have no significant effect on the life of the
print during the period of this test.
Inkjet prints made with dyes were shown to have a short life before fading
unacceptably.
The study led to the recommendation that for the longest print life a print to be
displayed should be printed on an inkjet paper with pigment inks.
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