Print permanence

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Print permanence refers to the longevity of printed material, especially photographs, and Preservation Issues. Over time, the density, color balance, lustre and other qualities of a print will degrade. The rate at which deterioration occurs depends primarily on two main factors: the print itself, that is, the colorants used to form the image and the medium on which image resides, and the type of environment the print is exposed to. For ink jet prints, dye-based inks last generally longest when used with specific paper types, whereas pigment-based inks tend can be optimal on more types of paper. Ink jet paper types include swellable paper, porous paper, and cotton rag paper. Environmental factors that hasten the deterioration of a print include exposure to heat, ozone and other pollutants, water or humidity, and high levels of light. Though light-induced fade often gets the most publicity, greater than 90 per cent of consumer prints are stored in the dark where the effects of heat, humidity, and/or pollutants can dominate.

In general, black and white prints based on either silver halide or carbon-based pigments last longer than color prints. (Some black and white ink jet prints and some film prints, however, are generated using colorants.)

Most film companies and printer manufacturers are researching ways to increase the lifetime of their prints. While ISO or the International Organization for Standardization has developed standards for the testing of image permanence, those standards have yet to be extended to digital print output, though the organization has signaled its intent to provide such standards.