Are you getting your digital creations printed for enjoyment? Do you know if they will stand the test of time? This is something that has concerned me since I started scrapbooking (photo longevity) and it is IMPORTANT!!! Before you buy a printer head over to http://www.wilhelm-research.com/
Check out the current research from the guy who created the industry standard.

There is a TON of information on the site but printer info is on the far right of the site and the newest articles/ research is at the top of the site. Older articles remain on the site and ar archived as you move down the page.

You also might want to read my Wilhelm Wednesday blog entries http://jenniahart.com/blog/category/wilhelm-wednesday/ I've been trying to condense down all the information that is most important for scrapbookers (paper and digi) and get it onto my blog so scrappers do not have to wade through all the info on the WIR site (it is HUGE.)

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Jennia Hart
My blog about scrapbooking and life in general

It's also very important how and where you store your books and photos. The Wilhelm research will tell you how long the life expectancy is for each item when stored in 'ideal conditions'. I don't think it's possible for many of us to provide ideal conditions 100% of the time. A few tips are to store these things away from humid areas of the home, away from cooking fumes, heat, dust and harsh light. UV glass is best for framed prints and keep your precious items in one place and close to an exit in the event where you need to grab them quickly.

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Capture Moments, Share Memories with Photobooks

True enough.. but then again.. isn't that the beauty of digital. Faded prints, so what - just print them again and enjoy for another 6-10 years... with the advancement in technology.. by the time your prints fade away.. you'll be able to just print them out on your new printer and enjoy them for much longer. I don't see the point of worrying about this...

For many people, this information is important for when they print out their projects NOW. I have always listened to what Wilhelm Research says about this, and will continued to do so. So if people are interested in not having to print out their projects again in a few years, they should check out the info.

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Colleen in Friendly Manitoba...
Proudly selling digital designs at SBB
(Come take a peek at my Gallery or check my BLOG to see what I'm up to)

You also can't be sure if you are going to be around in a few years to print it again.

Suz

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Capture Moments, Share Memories with Photobooks

Yes.. all true. However, we must realize that even film photos fade and so long as you have protected negatives, anyone can re-print them. I have photos from my grandparents that are in bad shape.. However, with the negatives, I'm able to get perfect photos again.

Suz - you bring up a good point. Perhaps everyone should be including an easy to follow .txt file on each DVD you burn with your photos and projects that explain what you did to create your projects and how to go about printing them (ie: Layouts are contained in the /Layouts folder. BabyBirthday01.tif should be printed on a wide format printer at 300 dpi... etc). So long as the files are in a standard format and clearly labeled, your descendants will be able to enjoy these long into the future... kinda like the film negatives.

Anyway... The resource provided does contain some nice info... but it is quite incomplete. Where are all the desktop canon printers? It is certainly tilted towards epsons... with the newer canon's coming out this year and the move away from dye based inks, this issue will continue to become non-important for home enthusiasts. Pigment based inks will allow for 20+ year prints... add to that better absortion and multi-layer papers... and we move into the 30+ year realm.

From what I've read... it is equally important how you store your prints. In books (darkness) or behind UV blocking glass will increase the life of all prints.

I tend to agree with Pesto. I would just reprint. I have a film photo that I've had on my desk at work for 9 years in a UV frame with the sun shining on it all year long. It is slightly faded when I compare it to the 4x6 verison in a photo album. But I just reprinted it from my negative with no problems. I thought it was funny that it cost less to reprint a 8x12 now than it did 9 years ago.

Jennia: Thank you for taking the time to summarize the data.