Message-Id: <mailto:199509141454.JAA22230@library.wustl.edu> Date: Thu, 14 Sep 1995 10:11:51 -0400 From: Joan Hostetler <mailto:JEH7175@RITVAX.ISC.RIT.EDU> Subject: Thermal Dye Transfer Prints (was Archival ?????) To: Multiple recipients of list IMAGELIB
One source about the permanence of thermal dye transfer prints is:"An Explosion of Digital Technologies: Kodak and Ilford Announce Major Breakthroughs in Digital Print Permanence," by Henry Wilhelm, PTN/Photokina News, Sept. 24, 1994, p. 4
He states that thermal dye prints have "exhibited a number of serious image stability shortcomings," including:
1. "fingerprint fading" -- prints can show fading within weeks
2. fading and image irregularites caused by contact with PVC
3. transfer of image dye from one print to another when stored facing each other (occurring in as little as 2 days)
4. transfer of image dye to Post-it Notes (leaving faded area on print)
"If carefully handled and stored, thermal dye prints can be quite stable, but when image deterioration does occur, it can be devastating. This writer [Wilhelm] has studied photographic permanence for many years and has rarely encountered image deterioration that can be so rapid and severe. In addition, most types of thermal dye prints have poor light fading stability when displayed."
He continues with a description of Kodak's Ektatherm XtraLife Thermal Dye Media, which not only prints the yellow, magenta, and cyan dyes, but also has a fourth coating of a protective clear laminate. This final layer protects the print from fingerprints, damage from plasticized PVC, and damage from spills. Wilhelm's preliminary tests have shown that prints made with Kodak's XtraLife ribbon "have much better light fading stability than any other thermal dye prints on the market." He even states: "For thermal dye prints that will be sold or otherwise find the way into the hands of the general public-- or for that matter, any prints that may be kept for extended periods--this writer believes that XtraLife materials are the only currently [Sept. 1994] available thermal dye products that should be considered."
By the way, Wilhelm explains that thermal dye transfer prints are often mistakenly called "dye-sublimation" (or dye-sub) prints. This actually refers to a little-used process where heated dyes on a donor paper vaporize (sublime) onto the print sheet.
Joan Hostetler mailto:jeh7175@rit.edu