Digital Prints

Matz says, “Everything will change with time and will change faster under less-friendly
conditions. But doesn’t it make sense to start with the most stable materials that will
change the slowest?”
The Meaning of Permanence
If we’re going to talk about print permanence, then we should at least agree on what that
means. Unfortunately, that’s no easy task. Here are some different ways to define it.
Image Stability: The dictionary meaning of image stability is “resistance to chemical
decomposition,” but for the purpose of printing an image, we’re talking about what photo
conservator Martin Juergens calls “the stability of image-forming substances.” These
include the inks or dyes (together termed colorants) and the paper and coating materials
(the media) used to produce the print. It’s the inherent stability of not only the colorants
and the media separately, but the ink/media combination that is vitally important.
Archival: Although ink and paper manufacturers love to throw around the term “archival,”
there is no uniformly accepted definition of what is archival and what is not. In fact, the
word just means that something is in an archive, being stored, but not necessarily monitored
or preserved. “Archival” has become a marketing term, and it’s been appropriated
by just about anyone with something to sell in the printing business. They would have
you believe that archival—and hence, their product—means “long-lasting,” when in fact
it may not mean that at all.
Lightfast: Lightfast means resistant to fading. But for how long? The permanence, or fading
characteristics, of many pigments used in traditional art materials are well-established.
Colors rated by ASTM International as “Lightfast I” should last as long as pigments known
to have retained their color more than 100 years. (See more about the ASTM’s tests below.)
However, as permanence researcher Joy Turner Luke explains, ASTM members stress that
it’s never possible to predict how many years a particular color will last since future display
and storage conditions are unknown.
Other testing organizations (primarily WIR and RIT/IPI—see later) attach usable-life predictions
to lightfastness. In essence, they’re saying: “Based on certain display or storage
assumptions, a print similar to the one tested should last for X years without noticeable
fading or should only change this much in terms of its colors or densities.” As we will
shortly see, there are dangers with this approach.
Permanence: Permanence refers to resistance to any physical change, whether it be from
light, heat, acids, etc. As an example, an ink can be lightfast but impermanent because it
is prone to fast fading when exposed to atmospheric contaminants. How long is permanent?
The U.S. Library of Congress, which is responsible for the care of 125 million cultural
artifacts, uses “as long as possible” as its goal for preserving and making available to
the public its vast collections.
Because no one really knows what permanent or “archival” is, they are relative terms that
anyone can claim. In the end, you—the photographer-artist—must decide how long is
long enough.
Chapter 5 ■ Determining Print Permanence 147