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I'm worried about my prints
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Dec 26, 2020 09:44:10   #
AzPicLady Loc: Behind the camera!
 
I've had and used a Canon 100 (the 13x19 printer) for several years and receive excellent prints from it. I have had difficulty with prints fading, but it would take some time. I learned that prints are supposed to be allowed to "set" underneath something else, and that helped. But last summer I printed off some small pictures, laid them on my piano to assess them. They were fine for quite awhile. Then I printed a black and white. Within 1 week it had faded really badly and turned sepia. And the colour shots I had printed turned almost unrecognizable. I changed out the blue cartridge, thinking perhaps there was something wrong with it causing it to fade out totally. Now I'm worried about all the prints I have printed in the past and sold that within a short period of time they will have faded. I thought these inks were supposed to have longevity. Has anyone else experienced this? Is there an atmospheric situation that would cause this? (My house is hot in the summer.) Does anyone know what I can do to avoid this in the future? (And, no, I haven't discussed this with Canon.)

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Dec 26, 2020 10:06:26   #
Quixdraw Loc: x
 
That is odd - a have a bulletin board covered in 8.5 x11 Canon PP 100 prints with full window exposure. Light all day, sun for a good bit of that. Image age varies because I replace old with new by type, ranges from weeks to probably a year. No fading at all. When they come down they go into a drawer - many years of photos there, all fine. I do use mostly Canon inks, though I have strayed on occasion. The display prints are mostly on Costco / Kirkland Professional Glossy Inkjet Photo Paper. Hope you can get it sorted out!

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Dec 26, 2020 10:48:47   #
AzPicLady Loc: Behind the camera!
 
quixdraw wrote:
That is odd - a have a bulletin board covered in 8.5 x11 Canon PP 100 prints with full window exposure. Light all day, sun for a good bit of that. Image age varies because I replace old with new by type, ranges from weeks to probably a year. No fading at all. When they come down they go into a drawer - many years of photos there, all fine. I do use mostly Canon inks, though I have strayed on occasion. The display prints are mostly on Costco / Kirkland Professional Glossy Inkjet Photo Paper. Hope you can get it sorted out!
That is odd - a have a bulletin board covered in 8... (show quote)


Thanks, Quixdraw. That's encouraging. I plan today to reprint some of them and see if the same thing occurs.

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Dec 26, 2020 11:06:05   #
bsprague Loc: Lacey, WA, USA
 
My guess is that there is something about the piano, heat, window light or room light that is accelerating the fading.

The Pro 100 and newer Pro 200 use "dye inks". The more expensive Canon printers use "pigment inks". There are advantages to dye inks like less clogging and maybe some "brightness". The significant disadvantage is life. Both dye and pigment inks can last a long time and it is nearly impossible to nail down an exact duration.

Epson does the same. There lower priced photo printers use dye inks.

In good storage or display conditions, dye inks are supposed to be good for about 100 years. Pigment inks, maybe twice that or more.

I've not had any fading problems with my Canon Pro 100 prints and some are 10 years old now. My reading and experience with a Pro 100 suggest that I shouldn't have any trouble with fading for the rest of my life since I'm 74!

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Dec 26, 2020 11:33:23   #
AzPicLady Loc: Behind the camera!
 
bsprague wrote:
My guess is that there is something about the piano, heat, window light or room light that is accelerating the fading.

The Pro 100 and newer Pro 200 use "dye inks". The more expensive Canon printers use "pigment inks". There are advantages to dye inks like less clogging and maybe some "brightness". The significant disadvantage is life. Both dye and pigment inks can last a long time and it is nearly impossible to nail down an exact duration.

Epson does the same. There lower priced photo printers use dye inks.

In good storage or display conditions, dye inks are supposed to be good for about 100 years. Pigment inks, maybe twice that or more.

I've not had any fading problems with my Canon Pro 100 prints and some are 10 years old now. My reading and experience with a Pro 100 suggest that I shouldn't have any trouble with fading for the rest of my life since I'm 74!
My guess is that there is something about the pian... (show quote)


What's interesting is that I hadn't had trouble with major fading (that I know of) until this particular set of prints. Do you suppose I got a bad set of inks? I always purchase a full set at once.

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Dec 26, 2020 12:39:30   #
bsprague Loc: Lacey, WA, USA
 
AzPicLady wrote:
What's interesting is that I hadn't had trouble with major fading (that I know of) until this particular set of prints. Do you suppose I got a bad set of inks? I always purchase a full set at once.


I would not assume bad ink, but anything is possible. My wife and I are low volume printers. When we want a print, we love doing it, but there is not a lot of remaining wall space. Consequently our ink use is fairly low.

I keep one full set of Canon ink so that I have a color handy when I need it. As soon as I take one carried out of the spares box, I order that single color from Amazon. Doing this way keeps me from have any extra, low use, colors and makes me feel like I'm spending less money.

Doing it this way means my ink is "fresh". I don't know if that makes a difference or not.

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Dec 26, 2020 12:59:26   #
AzPicLady Loc: Behind the camera!
 
bsprague wrote:
I would not assume bad ink, but anything is possible. My wife and I are low volume printers. When we want a print, we love doing it, but there is not a lot of remaining wall space. Consequently our ink use is fairly low.

I keep one full set of Canon ink so that I have a color handy when I need it. As soon as I take one carried out of the spares box, I order that single color from Amazon. Doing this way keeps me from have any extra, low use, colors and makes me feel like I'm spending less money.

Doing it this way means my ink is "fresh". I don't know if that makes a difference or not.
I would not assume bad ink, but anything is possib... (show quote)


Thanks. I'm feeling really nervous about selling prints I do myself now. But I guess since there aren't any art shows currently, I've got some time to hopefully figure this out.

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Dec 26, 2020 16:29:46   #
bsprague Loc: Lacey, WA, USA
 
I would not be nervous about selling prints. You might find Canon's statement on longevity and provide it with prints you sell. Basically it reminds buyers of the obvious about fading in sunlight.

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Dec 26, 2020 16:37:31   #
AzPicLady Loc: Behind the camera!
 
bsprague wrote:
I would not be nervous about selling prints. You might find Canon's statement on longevity and provide it with prints you sell. Basically it reminds buyers of the obvious about fading in sunlight.


Unfortunately, I think that would make it ever harder to sell prints. But I do tell them to not hang the print in direct sunlight. But my prints that faded weren't ever in direct sunlight, either.

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Dec 26, 2020 18:27:24   #
twowindsbear
 
Did you use top quality, long life Canon paper?

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Dec 27, 2020 06:52:59   #
dpullum Loc: Tampa Florida
 
I have used non-OEM inks with both my Canon 9000 and prior for many years my Epson. Wall mounted, no fade for 10y. Most homes do not have High-UV or Ozone in the rooms, Arizona perhaps higher, but if too high your red sofa would be multi-colored pink. When I lived in PHX humidity was not a problem, very low. UV stabilizers are low cost and so little is needed that aftermarket inks probably all have them ... regardless of what the photo magazines say when they have OEM/Printer advertisers.

Turn off your COVID UV sanitizer lights, Turn off your Halloween UV glow in the dark lights, and also that great Xenon Arc Lamp from the Army Surplus store.

I coat my prints with simple paraffin. I melt the paraffin in a flat pan, then use a flat nap paint applicator, rub it on to the paraffin, and then onto the print. The coating is micro-thin but sufficient to isolate the inks from the environment, primarily Florida moisture.

My prints are spray glue mounted on manufactured hardwood cut from a 4x8' sheet. Some others are framed and have a glass covering them. Sorry, you are having problems. Systematically change things, first change ink manufacturer, then use in my case for finished prints, RedRiver paper.

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Dec 27, 2020 07:54:36   #
LenCreate
 
Did you buy the ink directly from Canon? If not, you might have received counterfeit ink that’s not the same quality as the real stuff.

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Dec 27, 2020 08:32:22   #
OnDSnap Loc: NE New Jersey
 
AzPicLady wrote:
What's interesting is that I hadn't had trouble with major fading (that I know of) until this particular set of prints. Do you suppose I got a bad set of inks? I always purchase a full set at once.


Try a different box of paper.

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Dec 27, 2020 08:46:56   #
AzPicLady Loc: Behind the camera!
 
dpullum wrote:
I have used non-OEM inks with both my Canon 9000 and prior for many years my Epson. Wall mounted, no fade for 10y. Most homes do not have High-UV or Ozone in the rooms, Arizona perhaps higher, but if too high your red sofa would be multi-colored pink. When I lived in PHX humidity was not a problem, very low. UV stabilizers are low cost and so little is needed that aftermarket inks probably all have them ... regardless of what the photo magazines say when they have OEM/Printer advertisers.

Turn off your COVID UV sanitizer lights, Turn off your Halloween UV glow in the dark lights, and also that great Xenon Arc Lamp from the Army Surplus store.

I coat my prints with simple paraffin. I melt the paraffin in a flat pan, then use a flat nap paint applicator, rub it on to the paraffin, and then onto the print. The coating is micro-thin but sufficient to isolate the inks from the environment, primarily Florida moisture.

My prints are spray glue mounted on manufactured hardwood cut from a 4x8' sheet. Some others are framed and have a glass covering them. Sorry, you are having problems. Systematically change things, first change ink manufacturer, then use in my case for finished prints, RedRiver paper.
I have used non-OEM inks with both my Canon 9000 a... (show quote)


Thanks for all that information. Unfortunately, I'm not even sure what you're referring to! I've never heard of using paraffin. That's interesting. I was using some "other brand" ink for a little while. But I had so much trouble with it that I threw it all out and went back to Canon ink. I buy it through Staples.

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Dec 27, 2020 08:47:40   #
AzPicLady Loc: Behind the camera!
 
LenCreate wrote:
Did you buy the ink directly from Canon? If not, you might have received counterfeit ink that’s not the same quality as the real stuff.


Well, no. I got it through Staples. But it's shipped from Canon.

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