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HOW IMPORTANT IS IT TO FRAME YOUR INKJET PRINTS BEHIND GLASS?
The Epson and Wilhelm Imaging Research estimates for inkjet print longevity alway indicate that the tests were based on the storage of the prints behind glass. Just how important is it to frame your inkjet prints behind glass?
The following is a comparison of two inkjet prints: Both prints were made with an Epson 740 using Epson standard "graphic" ink. Both prints were hung on a wall about 15 feet from a large east facing window, covered by sheer-white curtains. The print on the left was in a glass enclosed frame, and the print on the right was in a frame without glass. Both prints hung on the wall for about 9 months:
Both images were printed on Epson Matte Paper - Heavyweight. The glass used was a standard glass, with no special UV (ultraviolet) filtration or coating. This demonstration shows the dramatic benefits of framing a print behind glass. (in fact, a newly made print from the original digital file showed almost no change from the print displayed behind glass.)
Even standard glass will block up to 45% of the UV rays from direct, diffused or reflected sunlight (the highest source of UV). Regular acrylic (or Plexiglass) is light weight, shatterproof, and filters up to 60% of the ultraviolet rays, even without a UV protective coating. Special UV coated glass or acrylic can be bought that will filter out between 90% and 99% of the UV wavelength. (Fluorescent and metal halogen lamps also emit high amounts of UV radiation. Ordinary household bulbs. i.e. incandescent or tungsten lights, contain negligible UV rays.)
Eliminating UV radiation is no "magic bullet" because the visible spectrum of light will also cause damage too -- just not as quickly as the UV component.
However, scientists at the United States National Bureau of Standards (NBS) found that the UV wavelengths were about 3 times more damaging than the visible spectrum. In other words, 3 years under normal solar exposure could take about 10 years to fade to the same point if the ultraviolet radiation is eliminated. The NBS found the relationship between the wavelength of the radiation and the relative damage to be as indicated in this graph:
This relationship helps to explain why even our standard glass (blocking only about 45% of the UV rays) was so effective in slowing down the fading. But another big factor was probably also due to atmospheric containment: Framing a print behind glass also helps to greatly reduce the exchange of oxygen and ozone -- a major factor in dye fading. Although UV protective sprays help to screen out harmful ultraviolet rays, and they offer less protection than framing behind glass when it comes to stowing down atmospheric exchange:
- Lyson Print Guard Spray
Very useful for fine art (i.e. watercolor papers) and matte papers because it does not change the surface look of the paper. It provides scuff resistance for delicate fine art papers, increase moisture and humidity resistance, as well as extra UV protection if the print is placed behind non-UV glass, or without any glass.
- Bulldog Ultra Spray
(Bulldog gives good UV protection for canvas prints that cannot be placed behind glass. It also provides good water resistance and scuff protection for pigmented inks on canvas.)
Another GLASS ALTERNATIVE: A good way to greatly slow down atmospheric exchange, if you don't want to frame your prints behind glass, is use clear archival envelopes for storing, displaying or shipping your prints.
Photographers and other artists who do not want anything (glass, envelopes or coatings) coming between their prints and the viewer should consider making only pigment ink prints (i.e. those made from the Epson 2000P, 5500, 7500, 9500 and the 10000 Archival Ink version). These prints will last considerably longer without any additional protection than prints made with dye-based inks (even the more lightfast dyes in the Epson 1280 and other similar Epson "Photographic Dyes"). Although pigment inks do not have the color gamut and color saturation of dye inks, they are much more resistant to fading caused by light, atmosphere or paper coating (chemistry) incompatibility.
NOTE: A future newsletter will discuss the benefits of laminates and the products that are currently available.
It should be pointed out that the most fugitive dye color in the Epson 740 inkset (4 ink colors: black, cyan, magenta and yellow) is the yellow dye, which has greatly faded in the print on the right. In Epson "photo" inkjet printers that use 6 ink colors, the light magenta dye is the other most fugitive dye color (even more so than the yellow dye). The light magenta dye in the early Epson photo printers like the 700, Photo EX, 750 and 1200 still have this fade problem, and unprotected prints can quickly turn green due to light magenta fading. Epson strengthened the yellow and light magenta dyes with the introduction of the 1270 and 870 printers (Feb. 2000) and their new inkset cartridges (the 1280, 780, 890 and 820 printer cartridges continue to use this same improved inkset). Users of the new Epson Pro 10000 wide-format printers also have this new inkset available to them if they choose the "Photographic Dye" version of the 10000 (rather than the Archival Ink version that uses the even more lightfast but less colorful pigmented inks). Users of the Epson Pro 7000 and 9000 printers also have this new inkset available to them by ordering the new Photographic Dye yellow and light magenta inks (9000 Yellow: T539; 9000 Light Magenta: T540; 7000 Yellow: T541; 7000 Light Magenta: T542):
Click here for pricing and ordering for the 7000/9000 Photographic Dye
There is no backward compatible Epson "Photographic Dye" solution for the Epson 700, Photo EX, 750 and 1200 printers.
Get a CUSTOM profile for any printer/ink/paper combination - unlock the full potential of your printer!
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