Papers to minimise fade with aftermarket dye inks.

[mikling]

My suspicion is that if this old paper is left in a humid environment, it will come back and be useable once more.

Now the interesting this about this hardening over time is that the paper improves its key performance aspect over time and that is as the surface hardens and it really seals better over time!

 

[Ink stained Fingers]

I kept a sheet outside for a day in the current humid environment, it didn't change. It still feels very dry and not sticky at all and just a little bit after printing. Old glue on stickers ages as well. If it got printed years earlier in a more priscine condition this hardening effect may have indeed done a very good protection job . And papers of other suppliers may react differently. It's just a point of caution when looking for old surplus stock of such stuff.

 

[peter D]

The HP Premium Plus High Gloss 280 gsm photo paper that I've been using (believed to be swellable) has a product number C6832A and is bar coded 8869883994. It is produced for HP Europe of The Netherlands but has a Lot Number referring to Switzerland. The fine print on the back of the packet advises that the paper is optimised for HP inkjet printers but not recommended for use with HP 38 ink cartridges. It is different from the later HP papers in that it does not claim to be "instant dry" (on the packet) and does have a surface reaction when moistened.
Thanks for the warning about the possible deterioration in absorption as I still have one unopened pack that's three years old to consider.

So far with the fade test (The Derby) I'm close to three weeks into it (it is now quite sunny in the Antipodes) and already there is noticeable fading of the two prints made on the standard microporous Canon Semi Gloss paper (one of them over sprayed with Helmar Fixative spray). It is definitely the greys and blacks that are fading the quickest so far with these two prints.
The print made on the HP paper described above has less fading but the grey tones appear lighter and warmer (however they were warmer at the start because of the paper not being as white as the Giant Image papers).
The good news is that the prints made on the Giant Image swellable paper (both gloss and satin) are still looking about the same as the reference print mounted under glass but exposed to light.
The bad news is that the other glass protected print that is additionally protected from light (the control) is now the only print not exhibiting change - again it is the blacks and greys that appear to be fading the quickest on the light exposed (under glass) reference print.
Oddly where a swellable print is exposed to the atmosphere but shielded from direct light the fade difference is less noticeable compared to the ozone and light shielded control. This may be down to the fact that when the seaward facing doors are open in the room where the prints are located there is the additional exposure to aerosols from the Pacific ocean beach a short distance away. My top hinged light shield may be protecting the print from this additional hazard. All the prints are being displayed near floor level which would give them exposure to airborne liquids entering the dwelling.

My conclusion so far is that the Giant Image Swellable paper is giving good protection from atmospheric oxidation but that UV exposure is also having some effect on the inks, however there is a yet unexplained effect that may need further investigation.
Hopefully after 6 weeks the results should be more definitive as the differences between the Giant Image prints are not that obvious at this stage of The Derby.

 

[Ink stained Fingers]

I got the HP papers with an overview sheet of their other products from that time , about 10 years ago - C2006. Marketing descriptions are typically very vague and do not refer to any technical properties, HP is listing here

HP Everday Photo paper - Try photo printing - brighter colors and realistic photo prints
HP Photo paper - instant dry - most likely a microporous paper
HP Advanced Photo Paper - instant dry and water repellent .....
HP Premium Photo Paper - excellent image quality - vibrant colors and realistic skin tones (whatever that means - as if skin tones would not be realistic on the other papers.....)
HP Premium Plus Photo Paper - exceptional fade resistance - for generations - an indirect indication to a swellable coating

I'm observing the same effect that the black ink is fading the fastest, not just changing from dark black to lighter tones but changing as well the color from a pretty neutral black/dark gray to a saturated chocolade brown - dark to light - as shown frequently with scans. Except on one paper , I did such a test 18 months ago, my black ink was fading from black to gray only on the current HP Premium Plus Photo Paper CR674A, and turning to brown on all other papers, this HP paper makes a difference in this respect.
This test was showing how different the same black ink changes its color on different papers when fading -
https://www.printerknowledge.com/threads/which-pigment-ink-for-epson-1500w.9323/page-19#post-92490
with #6 as a swellable paper but this one is otherwise useless.

You may have discovered another fading agent - salt in the aerosols from the sea - I have already seen some surprising things in this fading game, why not something more like this

 

[Ink stained Fingers]

(it is now quite sunny in the Antipodes)

I only can report the opposite

8 inches of snow and show drift are in the forecast....

 

[peter D]

That's not for me as I'm allergic to cold both psychologically and physically (Raynaud's disease), a contraindication of my genealogy which seems to lean to the Celtic and possibly more specifically Nordic, however in spite of that I did welcome the opportunity to indulge in winter sports when I was much younger.

It's apparent from your earlier posts that your depth of interest and experience in the ink fade subject is long standing.
As you have discovered I've also found that the fading of the blacks and greys on the standard microporous papers is accompanied by a shift in colour from neutral grey to more brownish tones. The small amount of fade observable in the prints made on Giant Image swellable is accompanied by a slight warming (maybe more yellowish) as well compared to the control print.

Over the next few days I'll attempt to photograph and post here the ocean aerosol phenomena as it occurs around our dwelling. The misty clouds rolling inland from the surf beach can be observed when the onshore breeze is very light early morning and later in the evening. I've noticed in the past that a print sitting near floor level faded very fast and I dismissed the discovery as a one off.
The level of protection from ozone and aerosols afforded by the Helmar artwork fixative spray is obviously not significant even though that type of spray will afford some protection from finger marks and water spot damage without effecting the surface appearance that much particularly if lightly buffed when dry.
For the artist working with paints a fixative is used to separate a completed layer of work from over painting that may prove to be detrimental to the desired finished effect and need to be removed.
To get any protection from fading due to atmospheric influences it looks like the much thicker protective finishing lacquers are required. The laquers I've used so far are not completely clear and impart a faint grey cast to the image in addition to changing the surface appearance of the print..

 

[stratman]

Raynaud's disease

A treatment for this is Viagra. Will health insurance cover the cost? If so, there are going to be a few forum members seeing their physician soon for a new problem.

 

[peter D]

OK for you guys in "up above" but it will be difficult for us aging antipodeans "down under" to manifest Raynaud's in the digital extremities in front of the Doc what with the Tasman Sea being 6 degrees Celsius hotter than it normally is for the start of December.

 

[stratman]

@peter D - bowl of ice water might do the trick.

 

[Ink stained Fingers]

Black inks are typically fading to brown,

When I display the pixels of this scan in the Lab color space I'm getting this

The luminance L axis, the gray axis runs vertical, the bottom shows the pixel cloud of the black
pixels, and the brown ones the faded pixels, they moved up and away from the neutral axis very much into the b direction - reddisch color tones