Archival properties
Images can have a susceptibility to fade over time. This is mainly due to exposure to ultra violet light on the compound that creates the image. Although the atmosphere, humidity, temperature, pollution and acidity can be contributing factors. Exposure to direct sunlight should be avoided and a UV resistant glass can be used. All papers used are acid free and archival.
Lenticular prints
A lenticular image displays one image after another whenever the viewing angle is changed. Thus creating an effect like a short animation known as a flip (after flip book). The interlaced (cut and reassembled in strips) image is placed in register behind a plastic sheet made up of parallel lenses. Each strip makes up a slice of the final image viewed from one angle. When the angle changes a new set of strips show a different image creating an illusion of movement.
Platinum
Photographic prints made in Platinum are some of the more beautifully rendered images ever to behold. The whites are ethereal and the blacks go on forever. The effect is achieved by using the light sensitivity of iron in the presence of organic material (oxalate ions) to turn platinum salts into metal. Particles of which are set in the paper surface so finely that they give a depth to the image that can be achieved by no other process.
Patented by W. Willis in 1873.
Cibchrome/Ilfochrome
A colour reversal dye Ôdestruction' process. Making it the most archival of machine manufactured colour papers. Strong contrasty colours with rich reds.
Digital Colour Coupler
Chromogene (coupler prints) prints are very similar to C type colour prints, but employ a coupling process between the silver salts and the coloured dyes rather than simply replacing them. Making them as extremely light-sensitive as they are in the black and white silver printing processes.
Dye-based inks
Dye based inks, as the name suggests, dye the paper. They soak into the surface giving fine detail and smooth expansive and yet subtle colour. Though not as archival as pigment based inks they have a greater colour gamut. Archival dye inks on archival papers can achieve at least seventy years.
Pigment-based inks
The coloured pigment in pigment ink is a finely ground powder that sits on the surface of the paper that the print is made on. It can give a beautiful soft look. It is more resistant to UV light than dye based inks but cannot achieve quite the same detail or colour gamut.
Carbo prints
Like platinum printing a labour intensive process requiring even more effort in contact negatives and registration. The results are stunning. A fully archival colour print method that can be worked in a varied and personal way.
Fuji colour crystal archive
A C-type colour print with superb colour qualities and a very good archival range.
Lambda prints
The Lambda machine is a favourite with C type art printers. Producing digital images onto traditional papers such as the Fuji crystal archive and even R type Ilfochrome.
Toners
Photographic toners such as gold and selenium alter the colour of a print by replacing the metal in the silver salts with another metal. This may improve the artistic qualities of the image but in so doing also increases the archival qualities of the image.
Gravure
The finest reproductive photographic medium. A copper plate is acid etched from a photographic source the etched areas of the plate hold amounts of ink that correspond to their thickness following the tones of the original print. The paper is Ôpressed' in relief and the resulting prints have a delicate sensitive beauty.
