I have a client possibly interested in purchasing several 40x65 prints from me done with PiezoPro inks on Hahnemuhle Photo Rag 188, and she asked me how long the prints will last. The prints would be installed in a large lobby with many floor to ceiling windows, so I assume bright illumination but not direct sunlight.
When I look on the Aardenburg site, the only carbon/selenium inks sets I see are called Piezotone from 2009. On a 9800 the Aardenburgh test indicate Piezotone inks have a display rating of 88 Megalux hours or approximately 44 years in an average bright room.
Are Piezography Pro inks the same as the tested Piezotone from 2009? Should I expect them to have the same fade characteristics?
I print on the slight cool side with the Piezography inks. Should I then expect less of a density change and more of a color shift toward the warm carbon color over years of exposure?
Aardenburg did not test the Piezography Pro inks as none of our customers submitted for tests and he would not allow us to submit considering us to be an OEM. But they are not similar to Piezography Carbon K7 which is a 100% carbon ink. Piezography Pro is a combination of carbon and color pigment so would be more similar in longevity to ABW tests submitted.
EPSON ABW is a method printing black and white with EPSON carbon light blacks and color pigments. So while we may use more carbon than EPSON it is still more a comparative than the earlier Piezography K7 inks. Incidentally, we are still supplying Piezography Carbon K7 which is the ink that Aardenburg wrote is unaffected by light. It’s the only 100% pure carbon ink available.