Do the latest Canon printer inks fade?

[rcrobert]

Am interested in replacing my Epson 1270 with a new wide format printer. The new Canon i9900 looks good, but their technical specs don't say much about the lightfastness of their inks and papers.

Anyone with experience with fading or non-fading using Canon's current generation of inks/papers??

Thanks for any help or recommendations!

[Pekka]

I don't this 9900 supports pigment inks yet.

Canon wide format printers (e.g. imagePROGRAF W6200 which are about $3500 is US) use pigment inks with UV protection and they should last 100 years at least. So it is only a matter of time this ink will come to consumer printers, too.

PS. I saw that W6200 output the other day and it was amazing in clarity and color, it seems to be well worth of 4000 euro price they ask here.

[Longwatcher]

I can not say about the latest batch of Canon Inks for sure, but the ones from the previous batch have lasted a confrimed 3 years so far using the BCI-6 ink set (the same ones the i9900 will use - however I can't confirm longevity of red and green inks yet). But it still depends on the paper used, where you live and what environment they are displayed in.

Evidence indicates that with the latest batch of Kodak Ultima series papers you should get at least 25 years (although Kodak claims 100 with Canon BCI-3 Ink set).

I still don't trust Canon paper with Canon inks, but have not bought a batch recently. No fading using Epson or Ilford photo papers under household conditions either.

I have the S9000 and plan to get the i9900 when it comes out and I trust the results I have seen, which is Canon OEM BCI-6 ink set with Kodak Ultima paper (the batch juct prior to the recent colorlast stuff) has shown no fading in open air household or office lighting conditions. So I trust that combination, however, some people have reported problems with Kodak paper in the past and Canon OEM inks on the s9000 and i910 series printers; I however have only had three prints out of around 1000 show any issues with Canon ink versus Kodak ultima paper and had the same issue with ilford paper.

So I can personally recommend Kodak Ultima Paper (but not Premium or photo paper) with Canon OEM BCI-6 ink sets. I have no reason to suspect my prints done with that combination will fade any faster then prints done in a photo lab with chemicals.

Just my experience and opinion.

[Motorsports Photo]

dye inks = fast fade!

pigment inks= MUCH more lightfast.

Canon is a speedy printer but the dye inks are a problem. Epson ahs the pigmented inks, but they also have other quirks to drive you crazy! :x

(HP also fits the last of the previous for me as well)

-Pete