[KevinD103]

(02-24-2012, 02:36 PM)Slynky Wrote: I'm probably quoting stuff here that is just made up by the OEM manufacturers BUT...

I thought, for example, one needed to use Canon paper with a Canon printer to gain the longivity they advertise. The detailed report I read indicates that Canon makes a paper that works best with their printers and that it permits ink to "soak" into certain layers of the coating (coatings have a few different layers making them up). This soaking into the proper layer is what makes the print last for many years (as well as yields the best vibrancy, etc.). I thought it is unwise to just use any paper manufacturer...

Indeed the manufacturer has a vested interest in you buying only their recommended product and will tell you that you will get best results with their recommendation and that the warranty might be void if you use other. Not always true, especially in the area of economy.

If you purchase OEM ink by the cartridge and price it out by the gallon you will pay about $5000 to $8000 per gallon. Aftermarket inks will cost in the $100-300 range per gallon. Are the OEM inks good? Yes. Are the aftermarket inks good? It varies, they can, however, be as good as OEM.

Paper is in a similar situation. Very good papers can be obtained from aftermarket suppliers that are as good/better than OEM. Again the price can be much lower with aftermarket.

The dirty little secret is that printer manufactures make their money from selling ink and paper, not from the printer itself. Some time ago Xerox gave away a laser printer for free, all you had to do is agree to purchase a quantity of toner from them over a time period. The printer was free, the toner amounted to about $3500. Not such a good deal after all.

Regarding longevity; keep in mind that all estimates of fade resistance are based on accelerated testing. That is they use severe lighting and chemical methods to induce the ink to fade, all in a relatively short period of time. A paper/ink combo might have a rating of 100 years, however, the actual time it was tested is actually measured in months. Actual time for a lasting print is, at best, as guess. The big enemy of inkjet printing is UV light and it is well known that quality pigment ink resists UV much better than dye based ink. Having a multi color ink printer (8 or more colors) will often give you the option of clear-coating your print that will greatly help the fade resistance. Printer manufacturers do not have the market cornered on quality paper, shop around!