In the history of communication materials, paper has definitely proven the most popular in terms of writing or drawing. Since AD 105, papermakers have developed a number of specialty media such as coated and dyed paper. Until this day, much hasn't changed and there are even more types of media. Hence, the sheets of cellulose pulp between manufacturers aren't always the same.

Is fading inevitable?

In the photo printing space, the term "fade resistance" applies to the ability of the print outputs to combat fading due to exposure to light or other fade-inducing agents (Ozone) in the air. Through their own and independent lab tests, manufacturers often rate the durability of their photos in years. To do so, they determine the types of chemicals and environments that cause the colorants to fade and accelerate the process. The fade-resistant lifetimes of the media are accurate only for light fading as there are currently no standard methods for estimating and accelerating air-induced fade.

The two main types of photo paper

Premium-grade photo papers from the various manufacturers are generally made from sheets that are similar to the base paper used in traditional silver-halide photographs. This gives your prints the look and feel of traditional photographs, which is important to most people.

Tips for long-lasting memories

As you may have guessed, there's no getting away from light fading unless you're determined to hide your pictures in a box all through their life--which pretty much defeats the purpose of having printouts to show off your memorable moments. Resistance to light fading has nothing to do with the various image coatings. In fact, according to Henry Wilhelm (of Wilhelm Imaging Research), coatings do little to affect light stability of the inks and can even harm the stableness.

While manufacturers often test their inks with a variety of media--sometimes called a "crepe set" in the industry--performance is generally best with its own premium-quality sheets. Therefore, if you like long-lasting prints, you may have to buy printers based on Epson's pigmented inks or one of HP's 6- or 8-color units together with the manufacturer's own recommended media. For instance, HP's 5x series of 4-color solutions last significantly less than the rated 73 years even if used with its premium colorfast paper. This is because it does not make use of the HP58 photo cartridge which consists of a much more stable ink. The same applies for HP's newer Vivera inks. The 4-color combination lasts 82 years compared to the 108 years that is accomplished with 6- or 8-color setups.

If you like fast prints, your prints will last up to 27 years--if you take good care of it. As the paper media is susceptible to air fade, it may be in your best interest to frame your photos up. The glass will aid in reducing the amount of air, and hence the agents that contact the dyes in the pores of the image coating. Also, using porous media on any printer doesn't automatically mean faster speeds, and could even cause more problems with some models. Printers are tweaked with certain ink loads to produce the high chroma required for bright, saturated outputs. As such, using porous paper on an incompatible unit with high ink loads will have the result of photos that take a long time to dry.

Finally, although swellable medias seem to have the upper edge with regard to longevity, there are drawbacks. The manufacturers sing the same wonderful tune for swellable coating. However, they also fail to mention the problem that occurs in high-humidity areas (read: most of South-east Asia). Because of the media's nature to draw moisture under its coating, this could present some problems with ink loads. HP, on its part, bundles in a "Ziplock" bag for the media to reduce the paper's exposure to moisture. Epson, on the other hand, does not bring in their swellable media into this region.