Wilhelm Imaging Research indicates that color prints made with the Epson Stylus Pro 9800 wide-format printer can last from 61 years on Epson Velvet Fine Art Paper to 166 years on Somerset Velvet; using the Epson K3 inkset for black-and-white prints yields a low of 76 years on Epson Premium Semimatte Photo Paper and a high of 205 years on Epson UltraSmooth Fine Art Paper.
The figures can be gleaned from the WIR Print Permanence Rating published by the research firm.
The image permanence data were based on tests done with proto-type Epson UltraChrome K3 inks on a variety of media and on long-term tests with the previous generation of UltraChrome inks used in several different large-format printers.
The tests indicate that with color images, UltraChrome and UltraChrome K3 inks have similar permanence characteristics. However, with black and white prints, the display permanence ratings with UltraChrome K3 inks are significantly improved.
[Site: Wilhelm-Research.com]
Photo: Henry Wilhelm