The basics

384 ADVANCED PHOTOSHOP ELEMENTS 5.0 FOR DIGITAL PHOTOGRAPHERS
FINELY CRAFTED OUTPUT
predicted print life fi gures. As you can expect, this leads to much confusion when it comes time
to purchase media and inks, with claims and counter claims of predicted print life featuring
prominently on packaging of competing products.
To solve this problem many companies submit their products for testing and evaluation
to Wilhelm Imaging Research, a well-respected independent testing company, to provide
comparative results produced under the same stringent conditions. This process has worked
quite successfully for the last few years with consumers ‘in the know’ seeking out the valuable
testing results that are freely published on the company’s website – www.wilhelm-research.com.
The information is then used to inform print system purchasing decisions or provide data about
predicted life expectancy of specifi c printer, ink and paper combinations.
Book resources at: www.adv-elements.com
Testing print life >> Wilhelm Imaging Research, Inc. (www.
wilhelm-research.com), conducts research on the stability and
preservation of traditional and digital color photographs and
motion pictures. The company publishes brand name-specifi c
permanence data for desktop and large format inkjet printers and
other digital printing devices.
Henry Wilhelm is co-founder, President, and Director of Research
at Wilhelm Imaging Research, Inc. and appears frequently as a
speaker on inkjet printing technologies and print permanence at
industry conferences, trade shows, and museum conservation
meetings.
In 2005 Epson, Hewlet-Packard, Canon and Lexmark endorsed the
Wilhelm Imaging Research independent permanence testing
program which provides consumers with standardized print
longevity ratings.
The WIR certifi cation program
Taking the idea further, in 2005 the top four manufacturers of inkjet printers, inks, and
inkjet photo papers worldwide – Epson, Hewlett-Packard, Canon and Lexmark – endorsed an
independent image permanence testing program that includes a certifi ed seal for print and
ink packaging. With testing data supplied by the Wilhelm Imaging Research center the WIR
certifi cation program will provide customers with standardized print longevity ratings. The
program has three components:
(1) The WIR Certifi ed Tests – A comprehensive set of test methods developed by Wilhelm Imaging
Research to evaluate image permanence,
(2) WIR Test Data – Permanence data generated with the WIR Certifi ed Tests, and
(3) The WIR Seal – Signifi es that the product has been tested by WIR, and that detailed image
permanence data is available on the WIR website.
The standardized image permanence test methods and specifi cations undertaken by WIR
provide consumers throughout the world with ‘apples-to-apples’ comparisons for a wide range
of inks and photo papers. The testing program and associated seal will help us all differentiate
between printer manufacturers’ papers that have been optimized for that company’s inks, and