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Yes, digital color prints do fade! But so does everything else. Much depends upon how the prints are protected. Two major causes of color fading are long, continuous exposure to bright sunlight or ultraviolet light, and high heat and humidity.

First, recognize there are many different kinds of digital color prints. The two main types are prints made by digital photo labs on the same kind of photosensitive paper that is used for printing color negative film, and prints made on desktop inkjet printers.

Just like film negatives, digital photofinishers expose your digital camera images, recorded on memory cards or CDs, onto photo paper and then develop the prints. There is no difference between digital print and film negative print longevity. It’s the same kind of photosensitive paper in both cases. However, some manufacturers’ color papers are rated better than others. For example, Fujifilm claims a 60-year life for its Crystal Archive color photo paper before “noticeable fading occurs.” Others paper manufacturers, such as Eastman Kodak, make similar claims for photo print longevity. * Photographers can usually extend the life of their color photo prints by putting them in albums (dark storage, where they are not continuously exposed to light) and keeping the albums away from hot, moist environments.

Prints displayed on walls are exposed to light day after day. If they stay in normal indoor home illumination, that’s not too bad. Framed photos under glass will fare better, because glass cuts out much of the ultraviolet light. It isn’t smart to hang a photo print where it is exposed to hours and hours of bright sunlight every day. These rules apply to keeping any kind of color print in top shape.

Next, we have inkjet photo prints. Not to confuse you, but there are two types of inkjet ink systems. There are long-life pigment inks that employ color pigments suspended in a solvent, and shorter life aqueous dye-based inks. You can’t change back and forth between the two on your inkjet printer, so for the longest print life purchase a printer that employs pigment-based inks. This isn’t to say that dye-based inks are bad. Many people like them because they feel the colors are brighter and the cost of replacement ink cartridges is usually lower.

It is difficult to give an accurate “lifetime” estimate for either of these two types of prints, since manufacturers are constantly improving ink longevity. However, in a broad generalization, let’s say that the best pigment-based inks, used with their appropriate photo print papers, have a lifetime of more than 100 years before noticeable fading occurs, while a top-grade dye-based ink provides prints that last about a decade or two under good conditions.

Please note that inkjet inks are engineered for best longevity when used with particular photo print papers. That’s because the paper (sometimes called “media”) is designed to absorb and “lock in” the ink formulation. Most printer manufacturers want you to use their brand of ink and paper. However, as long as both the ink and paper are from quality independent suppliers and are compatible, they are just as reliable. The third-party brands are often more economical.

A third type of digital color photo is the thermal dye-sublimation print, which is most often made on small desktop printers that produce 4-by-6-inch snapshots. This at-home printer employs a print-wide ribbon with three dye panels of magenta, cyan, and yellow. Some printers have a fourth clear panel that lays down a protective coating on the print’s surface. With a computer or direct camera hookup to the printer, each dye layer is transferred by heat onto the paper one color at a time, producing the color photo. At best, dye-sublimation prints, when displayed under glass, have a life without noticeable fading of about five to 20 years, depending upon the manufacturer’s dyes.

*For more detailed technical information on the specific longevity of individual photo printing systems, visit the Wilhelm Imaging Research, Inc. website at http://www.wilhelm-research.com.

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