The other is what method is used to create hardcopy, or the physical image as it exists in our real, analog world. The challenges facing us with respect to digital hardcopy mirror those of traditional photographic and book conservation. The technology used to create printouts is new and changing constantly. It will take time for the industry to developed standards and practices that offer the consumer an archival choice in selecting products. With sensitivity to the needs of archivists and people wanting t preserve their family photographs, manufacturers will undoubtedly produce inks and papers with greater light-fastness.
Research already done on acid-free and archival papers can help speed the process.
Archival inks are now showing up with independent and conclusive research to back up manufacturer's claims. If outputting images to traditional transparency or negative film, much of the archival properties are already known. Storage of digital images may prove a more difficult to overcome problem than hardcopy. A color image printed today on acid-free paper using the latest archival inks may outlast the useful lifespan of CD technology or the file format chosen to store the digitized images. At this time, it may be more important to retain a hard image, whether through digital or through traditional photography than rely on electronic storage.