Print permanence for wedding albums

[mikemeskin]

I am about to start on an album for my friend's wedding that I shot about 2 years ago. I am a bit

concerned about archivability of the lab prints. What is the consensus on archival permanence for prints

that will be kept in matted albums - will regular prints (output on Kodak Endura paper) last as long as

pigment-based inkjets? Obviously, they do not have to be as light fast as the prints that will be framed for

permanent display. I would think the bigger consideration would be enviromental damage. I appreciate

any advice. Thanks, Mike

[nancy s.]

Prints, regardless of the printing process, are usually treated with coating to make them more durable. You can apply this or you can have the lab apply this.

 

Using a matted book doesn't cause the problem of the photos rubbing against each other and actually wearing as can happen in flushmount books. There are some flushmount books that actually require spray treatment for durability on a regular basis.

[scott levine]

Kodak says that Endura paper is stable for 200 years in an archival album under average

conditions.

[al_kaplan1]

Unfortunately by the time we really know these things chances are the supplies are long gone. We KNOW that conventional fiber based silver gelatin B&W prints, if correctly processed, can last well over a century. When it comes to color, Kodachrome is the most stable film but there's only one lab left on the planet that processes it. Dye transfer color prints are usually considered the most stable, and have withstood the test of time, half a century at least, but they were extremely expensive and Kodak stopped making the materials a few years ago. Conventional "wet process" prints from the 1960's and 1970's usually look faded to some extent or another even if they were stored in the dark.

 

At the other extreme Kodak and Ilford told us that the then new resin coated B&W papers weren't as stable as fiber. Nearly thirty years later I have RC prints in great condition. Maybe Kodak and Ilford just didn't want to say "We don't know for sure"?

 

The manufacturers run "accelerated" tests, involving exposure to bright light, high humidity, etc., but whether that is the same as just plain old years of being around? We don't know. Pigment is supposed to beat the dye used in ink jet printing but those old dye transfer prints used dyes too and still look great.

[mikemeskin]

Dear Nancy, Scott, and Al - Thank you so much for your answers! Both Wilhelm and Kodak

test by exposing prints to sertain light levels, so I asume exposure to light is the main

cause of color fading. It seems any prints should keep pretty well in an album.

[steve_hovland]

CD's are the biggest threats to permanence these days.

 

Last summer I had to reconstruct a hard drive from CD's and lost about 1 image in 100.

 

I have usable negatives that are 40 years old. Will CD's be usable in 40 years? I doubt it.

 

Personally I am seriously thinking about shooting both film and digital at events just for archival reasons.

[karl_borowski]

Unless you're using pigments and all kinds of expensive, high-quality inkjet paper, RA-4

is still tops for your prints. I use Kodak Portra Endura for albums, but Fuji PIII for wall

prints. Kodak still isn't as good as Fuji in the average lighting conditions of a home.

Kodak actually has much lower light brightness in their testing that the other companies

do. One might argue that Kodak's levels better approximate those of an office or home,

but that still gives Fuji a much longer-lasting product when exposed to sunlight hours a

day. In a dark album, where the print is essentially only subject to heat and humidity,

both work just fine. Kodak is rated at 200 years in this type of storage, and Fuji probably

just as long. My parents' wedding album is on Kodak paper, circa 1979, and it's holding

out just fine sofar.

 

Keep in mind if you're using inkjets, you're going to have to seal them against moisture in

some way, as we all know how water and ink don't mix.

 

Regards.

 

~Karl Borowski

[mikemeskin]

It seems like 200 year life span for prints stored in an album sounds comparable to

pigment/inkjet longevity. Thanks to all for the answers. I feel more confident to use RA-4

prints. best regards, Mike