Print longevity



It's all encouraging news on this page. The Epson C84 uses second-generation Durabrite pigment inks, not just the black ink, but the colour ink as well. Unlike the dye based inks used by most rivals and, it has to be said - in many other Epson photo printers, pigment inks are resistant to fading by ozone in the air, plus other gaseous pollutants as well as fading by UV light exposure, from sunlight, for example. Epson talks about lightfastness in terms of 80 years for Durabrite ink printed onto its Durabrite glossy paper.

It's advisable to use a good quality paper if you care about longevity as the un-printed white areas of a print can discolour independently when exposed to the same fading agents. Epson has developed a special glossy paper designed exclusively for use with Durabrite printers and Epson assures us that the same effort to deliver longevity has been applied to the development of the paper as the inks.

Longevity is not just about fading and discolouration. Epson has made much of the fact that its Durabrite ink is resistant to water damage. We can confirm that water splashed onto C84 printed plain paper or Durabrite glossy media does not easily make the ink smudge or run.