This article appeared in issue 64 of the Australian magazine Design Graphics. Once the ink-jet printer has been switched on and has finished its sonorous priming ritual, you soon have an impeccable print in your hand. What has been criticized, however, is the durability of such prints and their vulnerability to drops of water.
Experts give certain types of material an expectancy of no more than six months.
This is both a philosophical and a practical question at the same time. Even the pyramids, exposed for centuries to wind and rain, have visibly suffered. If trouble is taken to avoid noxious fumes, humidity and excessive radiation, ink-jet prints can enjoy a life much longer than estimated. For the private user, this longevity question is less worrying than for the digital artist who wants to sell a limited edition. As long as one possesses the original image data file, it is always possible to make a re-print.