Re: Real-world ink longevity test

DK wrote:
TJ <TJ@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote:
I printed a copy of a one-page magazine article about my father for his funeral 13 months ago. The article included both text and a color photo. I used an HP PSC 2110 printer, Kodak Premium Picture Paper, and HP ink cartridges that I had refilled numerous times with aftermarket ink. Since the funeral, the print has been hanging on our living room wall, framed in a dollar store frame and behind glass. While it is a bright room, the spot where the print hangs does not receive direct sunlight at any time.

So far, there has been no discernible fading whatsoever. The print looks as good to me today as it did the day I printed it. I fully expect it to look good for years to come.

Accelerated tests of the type done by many labs and/or magazines would have you believe that aftermarket ink starts fading practically before it finishes drying. Nothing could be further from the truth. With just a moderate amount of care, aftermarket ink can last a good, long, time. With poor care, even OEM ink will fade quickly.

Of course it is OK after a year - it is under glass! Not that there is anyhting wrong with refilling but thus far every single test I am aware of has been pretty unequivocal: aftermarket inks fade faster, sometimes a lot faster, than OEM from reputable vendors (Epson, Canon).

Every single print I have produced using after market ink has not faded at all. Now I don't store them on the dash board of my truck but I also don't hermetically seal them either. The problem with the tests I have reviewed is they usually don't test the better after market inks. Also, many of these tests are done to have a predetermined outcome which is why they use the more inferior after market inks to test against the OEM inks. Besides, if I ever do have a print that fades then all I need to do is print another one. I am willing to get 95%+ of durability of OEM ink to save 85% of its cost. A good trade, IMO.
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