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Lyson Print GuardTM Archival Top-coat Spray
Maximum Fade-resistance for Inkjet Papers
Print Guard is a low odor aerosol spray that protects your prints from moisture and fingerprints. It improves wet fastness and blocks harmful image-fading ultra violet rays. It is fast drying and non-yellowing. Applying three light coats does little to alter the appearance of the original media characteristics.
Print GuardTM Light Stability Characteristics:
- Testing of Print Guard has been done using images made with Iris ID inks printed on Iris glossy media. The results of fade resistance improvements are follows:
- The fade resistances of all colors are improved by a coating of Print Guard.
- Cyan is improved by 5%
- Magenta is improved by 400%. (Since the Epson magenta ink is the most fugitive of the Epson OEM inks, this should greatly stabilize the Epson 4-color inkset and the Epson 6-color inkset which includes an even more fugitive light magenta.)
- Yellow is improved by 10%
- Black is improved by 39%
- As a set, Print Guard improved stability by 38%
- Print Guard coated prints will tend to shift towards red and cyan over time---actually making the visible fade less obvious than without coating (when the images will fade green to cyan).
Print GuardTM offers Safety!
- No florinated hydrocarbons as propellant. No problems with ozone depletion.
- Isopropanol (rubbing alcohol) used as the solvent (no dangerous organic solvents).
- Non-yellowing, light stable resin--the same polymeric base used in automotive windshield laminates.
Print GuardTM Application Features and Tips:
- The 14 ounce (400ml) aerosol cans have a capacity of up to 60 8.5x11 inch prints with the recommended 3 light coat application.
- Fine Mist spray nozzle promotes even coverage and rapid drying.
- Make sure the ink in the printed images is fully dry before any attempt is made to apply a coating of Print Guard.
- Print Guard works best by starting with a light application as a coat. Then apply an additional series of 2-3 light coats instead of one heavy coating.
- Print Guard is ideal for glossy, transparency, coated canvas or semi-glossy media.
- Print Guard can be used on absorbent (watercolor papers, etc.) media, but requires technique development for uniformity in multiple very light coatings.
- Print Guard is fast drying. Depending on the coating weight. Print Guard will dry in 1 to 5 minutes. Allow to air dry - do not attempt to accelerate drying time by artificial means.
- In addition to providing additional fade resistance for printed images, Print Guard will provide a meaningful amount of protection against incidental moisture contact. No claim is made to provide complete moisture proofing, but properly applied; Print Guard will add a great deal of security during normal print handling.
NOTE: This product can only be shipped within the continental US by UPS Ground. It is considered a haxardous material and cannot be shipped by air.
Question: Why not just use an archival ink?
Answer: Archival inks are usually not as saturated as regular Epson OEM inks. The color gamut is not as broad, even though they are capable of longevity in the range of 65 - 100 years. Some artists feel there is little advantage in a print that will last that long if the print is not beautiful to begin with. Therefore, some artists choose to produce a print that is less archival, but a print that is capable of showing the artist's image to its fullest potential.
Question: How permanent are prints made with Epson OEM inks and sprayed with Print Guard?
Answer: Since Print Guard is a new product, we have not been able to conduct (as yet) our own accelerated fade tests, however, if Lyson's statistics of a "400%" improvement against magenta dye fading, then it is quite possible that Print guard could quadruple print life, as the magenta dye has been the "weak link" in inkjet print fading -- by causing a noticeable color shift towards a "green" color balance.
One artist (who is currently using an Epson Stylus Color 3000 with regular OEM Epson inks on Somerset Velvet [an archival fine art paper], and spraying his prints with Print Guard) is placing the following notice with his prints:
"This fine art print represents the finest balance between workmanship, archival paper and dye permanence that is available today. Added years of enjoyment will be yours if you protect this print from direct sunlight and fluorescent lights, as you would any fine work of art. We recommend immediate framing and displaying, primarily with incandescent lighting.
"All dye colors are subject to change depending on light time, intensity and atmospheric conditions. If you detect significant fading in this print, we will replace it for 1/2 the current price, for up to 15 years from its original printing."
All of this artist's inkjet prints are currently open editions, and he
thinks that his prints will actually last 15 years under glass, in the
right conditions. We think he's probably right. This certainly beats the typical 1 to 3 years that some archivist are claiming for inkjet prints. Fifteen years may be even longer than some process color "lithograph" limited edition prints are going to last, which may be a surprise to some art collectors! Here's an interesting quote by Jon Cone of Cone Editions on this subject:
"There was a great deal of false assumption on behalf of the art reproduction industry that their lithos and silkscreens were somehow permanent. They based their assumptions on original printmaking which makes use of pigments. But process printing (reproduction) nearly always uses transparent dye based process colors in order for process separations to work properly. (There are a very few exceptions to this). The good thing is that there has been so much work done in inkjet longevity. The bad thing is that these assumptions and paranoia hurt giclee as a medium early on."
We think a properly protected inkjet print on good paper should last about as long (or longer) than a process color lithograph (that many people have often paid several hundred dollars for)! And if the art collector is using the print to decorate his/her home (and not as an investment), 15 years of enjoyment is plenty for most people, as many will redecorate their homes or offices every 5 to 10 years.
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