Printing

[Barney]

Is resin coated paper archival and what is the life expectancy?

Should I stick to fiber based paper for permanence.

When I read about RC it seems to be baked on not baked in.

 

[HowLarge]

Ilford will have some advice , they advise a toner for longer life but suggest that rc can last a decades .
Personally I think rc is less prone to environmental damage and residual chemical impacts , along with the easier handling it makes a compelling case for general use.
Fiber can be kept for specific work where the extra handling in washing drying and environmental- humidity can be controlled.
There will be reams of text about this subject ,
storage conditions are really the biggest risk in my opinion.

 

[Dave_P]

I suspect some RC prints might actually last longer than many FB prints just because it's easier to wash to an archival state in the first place.

From Ilford:

https://www.ilfordphoto.com/faqs/photographic-paper-faqs/

Is RC Paper as Archival as FB paper?​

At present, there is no industry standard for testing the longevity of black and white papers.

Although we believe that RC papers can be as permanent as fibre based. If long-term archival stability is your primary requirement, we recommend fibre base papers as the medium of choice.

 

[jhotopf]

I've got RC prints that are 40 years old and fine.

 

[David M]

So have I, although they’ve been in drawers and not on display. I hope I print better now.

 

[Ian Grant]

There were issues with early Ilfospeed and image hightlights bleaching if prints were stored in plastic folders. I had prints bleach, but stored normally or framed there were no ussues.

The first generation of Ilfospeed was developer incorporated, I used to process it with an Ilfoprint machine, I made myown Activator, essentially a weak Sodium Hydroxide solution, with Sodium Sulphite, and Potassium Bromide, (no developing agents), and then instead of Stabiliser Hypam at 1+4, then into a normal 1+9 Hypam bath and wash. You could feed in a 10"x8" print every 15 seconds.

Iford changed Ilfospeed 2 it was no longer developer incorprated, that also solved the highlight bleaching issue, if stored in plastic files.

Papers now are quite different. Learning to print just use RC papers, they are cheper and easier to handle.If or when you are ready to exhibit think about Fibre based papers.

Ian

 

[Barney]

is printing paper ok to store in the freezer?

 

[Ian Grant]

It lasts for years just stored in a cool place, no need to freeze or refridgerate.

Ian

 

[David M]

I understand that Ilford advises against freezing.
It takes much longer than you might suppose for things to defrost and come up to a uniform room temperature.

 

[Barney]

Thanks Guys, I don't want to create problems.

 

[Reginald S.]

I have stored my original packed paper rolls and film packs for years without any problems. On the other hand I have made bad experience with storin paper at room temp.
For frosting of paper or films I add layers of plastic bags; for defrosting I immediately protect the materials with layers of fabric against condensation.