Having been in photography for nearly 50 years, I have been around a lot of photographic processes. These include alternate photographic processes (cyanotypes, lith prints, pinhole cameras, Van Dyke prints): not to mention the more well know processes of color and black and white negatives, digital photography and pre-press preparation.
I have always been concerned with the archival qualities photographic processes, especially in my fine art prints. Many of these qualities depend on the chemicals being used, the substrate the image is printed on and the way the images are processed. Some of the alternate processes listed above have archival qualities of hundreds of years. Traditional black and white images, when properly process can be good for 500 years or more. However, it does not include C-prints, our most common color photographic prints. C-prints are what we get from our 1 hour photo lab. The images are printed from negatives or digital files directly on a sheet of photographic paper and then processed in a chemical bath. The other print process is Inkjet (pigment prints, not dye based). These images are printed from digital files where the printer directly sprays ink on to a substrate, often a photographic type paper.
As I prepare for exhibiting my work, I have researched which of these two directions I should consider for my prints. I came to a long suspected conclusion; pigment prints are more stable and longer lasting than chemical prints. There are some in art market that prefer the C-prints, they have a thing for the silver halide emulsion containing dyes and couplers that form a visible color image upon reaction with a color developer. The problem is that dye fades, and compared to some of the more traditional photographic processes, they fade FAST! According to Wilhelm Imaging Research, the leader in the testing of photographic print longevity, a Chromogenic print, under normal viewing circumstances will last only 30 - 40 years.
Today’s inkjet pigment prints under normal viewing could last as long as 200 years. Many ask why is it so important to worry about the longevity of the work? They say: “I’m not going to be here in 200 years.” The reason is simple; the value of the work needs to be maintained. Anyone interested in buying an original photograph wants to protect their investment. Think of people buying a Da Vinci for millions of dollars. Would they pay anything if they knew the work was going to either fade away, or be significantly different in 40 years? Probably not.
Other advantages of inkjet pigment printing include a wider color gamut, more paper/substrate selections, and considerably less environmental impact.
My choice has solidly come down on the side of inkjet pigment printing for my fine art exhibitions.