Life
Expectancy and Cost
The charts show the cost and life expectancy
of different image options. Where 4 is the highest
cost or life expectancy and 1 is the lowest.
Process
|
Cost
|
|
Professional Digital Prints
|
4
|
|
Black and White Silver
|
3
|
|
Color Film
|
2
|
|
Home PC Digital Prints
|
1
|
If you use the Epson Archival printer, paper and inks, the Home PC prints
jump up to more than B&W silver. If may surprise you that Black and
White costs more than color. Black and White uses silver for the image whereas
color prints use inks.
Process
|
Life
|
|
Black and White Silver
|
4
|
|
Color Film
|
3
|
|
Professional Digital Prints
|
2
|
|
Home PC Digital Prints
|
1
|
It is interesting that the quality of the final product is ranked the same
as the life expectancy.
Without a doubt Black and White prints using silver last the longest. They
are the only print medium with a proven record lasting over 100 years.
Color prints are made with inks and sometimes dyes and they do fade over
time. Some modern digital printer manufactures claim long life span but
have no track record. Digital inks are no different than those used in
other media like fine art color printing. CD ROMs are used to record
photographs with claims of permanence. CDs do in fact corrode over time if
not kept in dry air. Also, they are already being replaced with newer
better storage. In 50 years there may be no way to play back a CD ROM as
things change quickly in the computer world.
|