Digital BW, The Print

http://www.marrutt.com/digital-ink-myths-2.php


Is there any doubt that the person writing the article above  would be saying what is said?

Tony Martin is President of Lyson USA.

A premier purveyor of dye based inks.

From Lyson's  US website as follows,

Independent testing carried out by Wilhelm Imaging Research, Inc. of Grinnell, Iowa has shown that a Lysonic ink set has an estimated life of 65-75 years on a pure cotton paper in average indoor display without noticeable fading*. 


Notice what is said, specifically, "a pure cotton paper", I am not real sure just how many pure cotton papers I use. I have the feeling I would have to go a ways to find a pure cotton paper. I am under the impression that any number archival papers use cotton fiber as a base, but, are prepared in such manor as to provide buffers and other substances to enhance longevity and or surface texture and just how the paper absorbs the substances placed on the surface as well as how the substances are conveyed into the base of the paper or not.

Color gamut is a moot point in this forum, is it not?  i.e. "DigitalBlackandWhiteThePrint".  Will an apparent greater color gamut in a dye based ink set as opposed to a pigmented ink set produce a greater Dmax black or better highlights? Can't say for sure one way or another, but I am willing to guess that it will not. While I have produced some pleasing B&W prints using MIS pigmented color ink sets I am pretty sure that these prints will not last as long as a pigmented multi black ink set on a paper of known archival quality. On top of that, producing B&W using color inks, is not a point and shoot deal and they do or can have some characteristics that are not pleasing and are difficult to control. 

Is pigmented digital B&W printing, using multi-level black ink sets the best that can be had in the digital realm, a myth? My opinion is that it is not. I am pretty sure that the right B&W ink set on a compatable paper can do a heck of a lot better than, 65 to 75 years. Check Wilhelm for specifics on pigmented B&W prints, and see what they have to say. 

Larry Heath

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