Wilhelm Wednesday- photos fading fast
Published May 31st, 2006 in Wilhelm Wednesday, photography, preservation, scrapbook marketing, scrapbooking, scrapbooking craft, teachingScrapbookers will be interested to view the newest information comparing Original Equipment Manufacturer (OEM) or cartridges and papers made by the same company that makes the printer to “Aftermarket” Inks and papers. The comparisons do not make the aftermarket products appear very attractive despite their lower prices. Not everyone agrees with Wilhelm’s testing methods however, testing from Wilhelm Imaging Research (WIR) is considered the industry standard.
Wilhelm’s older studies have also shown that aftermarket inks and papers do not stand the test of time but this newest report released in May 2006 shows that aftermarket manufacturers are producing inks that perform at a level comparable to the OEM inks that were available in the 1990s. Most of us are anxious to use up to date technology, especially when it comes to our memories and photographs. Scrapbookers do not use scrapbooking supplies that are 10 years old why would we want to use photo printing methods that are that outdated and inferior? I’ve seen it mentioned that this might be just a ploy on the part of the manufacturer’s to get us to continue to funnel money to their companies. WIR’s research is done independently of the manufacturers and is considered the industry standard. If professional photographers and museums trust Henry Wilhelm, I think I can trust his judgement when it comes to my scrapbooks.
When you purchase a printer for photos, be sure to take into consideration all of the expenses involved. If you aren’t willing to pay for the printer plus the OEM ink and papers you are better off uploading your pictures to a lab that uses Fuji Crystal Archive processing. In the 90’s when I first started researching scrapbooking and photo longevity I found that inkjet printers didn’t produce high enough quality prints that would last long enough to suit me, so I waited until the prices dropped and the longevity increased so that the purchase was one I’d be happy with. I advise you to do the same and just stick with lab processing until the printers and supplies are cheap enough that you feel comfortable making a commitment to buy only OEM supplies. The differences might not be noticeable immediately but they do show up soon enough.
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What we all have to realize is that the manufacturers are developing the printers, the printer heads, the inks and the papers to go together. Developing and printing photos is a science. The companies who make aftermarket cartridges do not have Epson’s and HP’s secret ink formula that was developed to go with their papers (and printers.)Â These after market companies are developing and experimenting but they are about 10 years behind the manufacturers and they face a not one-size-fits-all dilemma that the manufacturers do not have. If you aren’t sure upload your digital pictures to Wal-Mart photo for 12 cents a print (for a 4×6) you will have peace of mind. I’m still in the market for the perfect photo printer and I use Wal-Mart for all my digital processing. It is cheap and easy and they use Fuji Crystal Archive. I can’t beat that deal.
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