Archival Printing medium.

[grave_tidings]

[nermander]

There are many kinds of different inkjet inks.

First of all there are dye inks and pigment inks.

Pigment inks are normally water proof.

But then again, there are different dyes and different pigments. Some are archival, others are not.


When it comes to laser printing the toner is microscopic plastic balls with carbon powder in/on them. They are "melted" onto the paper with heat.

[Sethw]

[stevlena]

Should I buy a laser printer or an inkjet printer? My printing need is limited to printing reservation slips for travel, should not be more than 2 per month on the average. Also I don't expect to print photos or anything on color. I have heard that with inkjet printing at least every other day is recommended. However initial cost of inkjet printer seems to be half to one third of the cheapest laser printer. Which would be economical in long term?
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[seraulu1]

[denis]

for day to day printing I bought a cheap lase printer, only black, printer cost about $100 and cartridge replacement about$75, but last 20 time longer than ink jet cartridges.
I find this more economical.

[collergeo]

This is mainly due to the fact that giclees are usually produced using the finest ink available on archival medium such as paper or canvas. A giclee print can last as long as original masterpieces and can be reproduced easily.

[edenworkshops]

I offer this for what it is worth, not suitable for all applications but something to keep in the back of your mind.

For ages bookbinders have made an imitation vellum by painting both sides of a paper with blonde de waxed shellac.

I print using a regular inkjet printer and then treat the paper, the ink does not bleed, the shellac seals the ink and makes the paper waterproof.

There are full instructions for this simple process on my website. (gold-vault).

As I say, not suitable for every occasion, but if you want the look and feel of parchment, this method results in something far more convincing than mass produced parchment papers, and it also seals in the ink.

Regards

Richard