Fade Resistance on Red River Paper with Epson R800 / R1800
| Paper | Estimated Print life (no glass protection) |
|---|---|
| Polar Gloss Papers | Exceeds 50 years* |
| Polar Satin Papers | Exceeds 50 years* |
| UltraPro Satin | Exceeds 50 years* |
| UltraPro Gloss | Estimated 50 years* |
| Polar Matte Papers | Exceeds 50 years* |
| Aurora Art | 47 years |
| Gloss Optimized Images | Print life Estimation (no glass protection) |
|---|---|
| Polar Gloss Papers | 50 years |
| Polar Satin Papers | 50 years |
*This round of tests simulated exposure for 50 years. A result of over 50 years means that at the time the test was terminated, no appreciable fade was recorded.
Test Details
One major difference in this test is that we extended test time to simulate 50 years of exposure. All tests were conducted without the benefit of glass protection. From previous tests, we conclude that displaying a print under glass will increase print life by a factor of 1.5 over life without glass protection.
Apparently, there is no gain and perhaps a slight loss in image stability when the gloss optimizer is used. However, we feel that any change is negligable.
Conclusions
Even with the above in mind, the glosser technology is revolutionary and brings UltraChrome ink into a position of unmatched dominance. Most are familiar with the bronzing and gloss differential on older UltraChrome models. These are all but eliminated when you using the gloss optimizer on the R800 and R1800. The replacement of light magenta and light cyan with red and blue makes the R800 color gamut competitive with the Epson 1280 and other dye based inkjet printers. Our opinion is that any pro photographer or serious amateur that values quality, speed, and print longevity should certainly consider an R800.
As with all Red River fade tests, these results are only estimates and not guarantees of actual performance.
Last updated: August 19, 2021
