We typically think of Ozone existing in the upper atmosphere and are all aware of the hole in the Ozone layer, but the truth is that it is also present in the air we breathe and is generated extensively in offices where laser printers and copiers pump it out by the ton!. Opening the windows in your home to invite a cooling breeze elevates the indoor ozone density. Ozone is an oxidizing gas that attacks and degrades the ink in photo prints left exposed to air, causing fading. If prints are kept sealed in a photo album s that they are protected from direct light and air, fading can be forestalled for 100 years or more, but if a photo printed on either glossy or matte photo paper with a conventional inkjet printer is hung exposed to the elements, colours can lose their vibrancy before even a single year has passed. In fact in trials in our labs here we have seen the colours fading in days not weeks.
Fluorescent light also triggers gradual fading of photo prints, while moisture is a real enemy. Many a print has been ruined by spilled drinks or wet hands.
All of the major Printer manufacturers have taken this on board and offer inks with extended life. Some Epson inks now offer up to 200 years life in their Ultrachrome range.
There are two types of inks; Pigment ink and Dye Based ink.
Pigment ink: Pigment ink is composed of particles of colouring, which make the ink inherently resistant to attack from ozone and light. However, larger pigment particles can cause unevenness on the surface of the paper and therefore uneven light reflection, which in turn can lead to poor colour reproduction and reduced glossiness. Modern pigmented inks have overcome these problems and now provide vibrant long lasting colours and sharp laser like black text which is dry to the touch as soon as it is printed and smudge and waterproof.
Dye based ink: Traditionally dye based inks have given brighter more vibrant prints, the disadvantages were that they were liable to smudge, were definitely not waterproof were more likely to fade and needed decent quality paper to print on. Again over the past few years these disadvantages have been overcome and the output achieved by all of the major printer manufacturers in many cases is absolutley breathtaking.
The basic rule still applies though, if you want to preserve your memories then store your pictures in a photo album, safe from direct sunlight and protected from contact with the air around us.