General question on Printing restored electronic files

[Galem]

I'm sorry if this topic has been discussed before. I couldn't find an answer when doing a Search...
When you print to a home color printer, you get a nice image at first - but it often fades quickly. (This question is really just for myself and doesn't concern any photos I would test print from OPR, because they wouldn't be kept.)
What is the best way to print a restored photo (for personal use) and have it remain stable? Does a place like Walgreens or Office Depot have a better system than a home printer?
Again, this isn't really an OPR question, but I thought someone in your group would have a good answer.
And let me know if this is an inappropriate question.
Thanks!
Gayle, newbie

[Mike S.]

Hello Gayle,

Ink Jet Printers come in two types of inks, those based on dyes and those based on pigment.  The dye ink fades sooner than pigment.   If you have a dye ink printer and get ink refills from the local office supply stores that are not from the equipment manufacturer, the prints will last less than a month before they start to fade if stored under ideal conditions.  Ideal conditions means stored in an album (or similar) in a cool dry place or under ultra-violet glass away from sunshine in normal room temperatures.  Pigment inks  can last up to 200 years or more under ideal conditions per http://wilhelm-research.com/.  You should check out their website to see if they have a test for your printer.  So longevity depends on the ink, the paper, and the storage conditions.  Good question.

You would have to ask Walgreen & Office Depot what ink they are using.

Hope this helps.

Mike

[Galem]

Wow - thank you very much. I'm looking at buying a new scanner/printer and will look at pigment type printers. I appreciate your answer. Thank you!

[Hannie]

Interesting post, didn't know about the pigment/dye issue.  For home printing I use a simple Canon MG8250 3 in 1. It is an amazing photo printer for the prize and size. It takes 6 color cartridges (2 blacks, 1 gray and C,M,Y).  I'm sure they are dye based inks.  The prints that I made say 3 years ago and that are hanging on the wall seem not faded in any way.  I'm sure they are to some degree but it is not noticeable.

Hannie

[Galem]

Thank you for the additional information. I had some color work I did and printed on my husbands printer and they fade drastically. We buy our cartridges on-line, the cheapest we can find, and maybe that is part of the problem. Since I will be getting one attached to my computer I will be taking all recommendations and, of course, want to consider price and cartridge prices.
Thank you Hannie

[Mike S.]

Dye based inks from Canon, Epson & HP can last from 10 to 70 years depending on the paper as long as you use same brand manufacturer inks and are under ideal conditions.  I have some large (24" x 36")dye based photos that still look good after 10 years that were printed for me by a friend.  As for 200 years we will have to check back then to see.  lol

Mike

[Galem]

Thank you again, I think part of my bad luck so far is using cheap ink. That is okay for quick things or disposable things - but not what I should rely on. I appreciate your input.
Gayle