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. 

If you use the Epson Archival printer, paper and inks, the Home PC prints jump up to more than B&W silver. If may suprise you that Black and White costs more than color. Black and White uses silver for the image where as 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 some times 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.