Digital Printing for Archival.

[EZPower]

Well, you work in this industry long enough, and you are bound to run into Interesting questions that clients want to know.

We are currently running Xerox J75. Client wants to know how long will the print quality last on their brochure compared to offset printing. They are talking 20+ years.

Obviously we would have to run the digital on Archival paper. What about the ink. Can it last that long, compared to Offset printing?

 

[MailGuru]

My reply would have to be, almost sarcastic:

Really?!?! I mean REALLY?!? You have a brochure that will not change in the next 20 years? WHAT are they selling?

Best

-MailGuru

 

[EZPower]

Art Prints I think.

 

[davarino]

Years ago I read in a librarians' journal about testing this stuff.

As I recall, they said that a day in a 300º oven is equivalent to about 10 years.

But, not to take my memory as gospel, I'd find a job that was printed say 10 years (or better, 20 years) ago on similar paper for comparison and check a virgin sample in a 300º oven some weekend.

The archival problems are twofold (basically): pH of the paper and permanence of the ink.

There are papers purposely made with a near-neutral pH, your paper merchant can guide you on this.

The heat test will give you an indication about the inks. Because there is a heat fusing process used on most digital work, this is what will probably nix the idea of something being archival.

My gut tells me: any digital output of the present day should not be considered as archival, even on archival paper. Even as black and white.

Aging: Improved Traditional Paper Accelerated Aging Tests - Research Projects - Preservation Science (Preservation, Library of Congress)
Wilhelm Imaging Research

 

[dlincourt]

Be sure to consult with your ink manufacturer. Archival paper is necessary, it's true. But there simply IS no long term data for present day digital press inks, because they are changing and evolving constantly. That's why you need the best chemists--from your ink manufacturer (speak to the manufacturer directly and not to the distributor)--regarding the ink chemistry and its likely interaction with the paper over time.