Taking Care of Photographs
With proper care, photos printed with Epson Stylus PHOTO range of printers will preserve your memories for many years. The photo inks for Epson's new photo printers are specially formulated to achieve improved lightfastness when used with Epson photo papers for prints that are properly displayed or stored.
As with traditional photos, proper care will minimize colour changes and maximize display life. For indoor display, Epson recommends that prints be framed under glass or a protective plastic sleeve to protect the prints from atmospheric contaminants like humidity, cigarette smoke, and high levels of ozone. And, as with all photographs, the prints should be kept out of direct sunlight. For proper storage, Epson recommends that your prints be stored in a photo album (or plastic photo storage box) in acid free, archival sleeves commonly available from most camera shops and other retailers.
The actual display life of photographs will vary in accordance with lighting conditions and exposure to atmospheric contaminants. Independent testing by Wilhelm Imaging Research, http://www.wilhelm-research.com, indicates that prints from Epson Stylus PHOTO printers have the following lightfastness ratings on Epson papers when displayed under glass in normal indoor lighting conditions
Taking Care of Your Premium Glossy Photo Prints
As with all photos, care should be taken to preserve the long life of your prints. All colour dyes change over time, but a few simple precautions will keep them in good condition for years to come.
Make sure your prints are completely dry. For best results, allow your prints to dry thoroughly for 24 hours before framing.
If you want to store your prints in a stack, allow them to dry individually for at least 15 minutes, then place a sheet of plain paper between the individual sheets in the stack. Allow a full day for the prints to dry before removing the plain paper.
Do not use a hair drier to dry your prints, and do not dry them by placing them in direct sunlight.
Avoid exposure to atmospheric contaminants or direct sunlight. Storing your prints in photo albums protects them from both airborne contaminants and light and assures them the longest life. We recommend using acid-free, archival sleeves that are commonly available from camera shops and other retailers.
If you're displaying your prints in picture frames, mount them under glass to minimize exposure to humidity, cigarette smoke, and other atmospheric contaminants. Avoid placing them in direct sunlight or near sources of bright light. Your displayed prints will last longer when protected from the environment, but will not last as long as prints stored in photo albums.
If you're unable to limit your prints' exposure to airborne contaminants and light (for example, if you use them as postcards or display them on a refrigerator), they may discolour. The degree of discolouration depends on the environment and how much contaminants they're exposed to.
Important
- Don't display or store your prints outdoors.
- Don't store your prints where they are exposed to chemicals, such as in a darkroom.
- Keep your unprotected prints away from sources of ozone, such as monitors and TV's, air cleaners or other sources of high voltage electricity.
- If you're framing your photo, avoid doing so when humidity is high, as condensation may form behind the glass. If the humidity is too high, store your print in a photo album or plastic sleeve until the humidity drops.
By taking the steps described above to protect prints from direct sunlight and contaminants, you can preserve your photos for many years.