Epson Stylus Pro 5500 Supplementary Manual page 4

Technical Brief—EPSON Archival Inks
4. Better lightfastness: EPSON Archival Inks have a higher lightfastness rating than conventional pigment
inks.
EPSON's MicroCrystal Encapsulation Technology:
An extremely light-resistant material protects
the pigment particles and minimizes light
damage
Lightfastness of the EPSON Archival Inks is rated over 100 years before noticeable fading occurs, under
normal indoor fluorescent lighting conditions, in a glass frame, when using Epson Archival Inks and Epson
Fine Art Papers.
Summary
EPSON Archival Ink offers the following benefits:
Longest life—lightfastness up to 200 years
High degree of stability after printing
Widest color gamut of any pigment ink
Strongest durability
Highest gloss that allows the widest media selection, including matte, watercolor, and RC photo type
papers—other pigment inks can only be used with matte papers.
1 Lightfastness ratings based on accelerated testing of prints on EPSON special media, displayed indoors, under glass. Actual print stability
will vary according to image, display conditions, light intensity, humidity, and atmospheric conditions. Epson does not guarantee longevity
of prints. Ratings do not estimate the durability of the paper itself. For maximum print life, display all prints under glass or laminations or
properly store them.
EPSON Sales Training
1
EPSON and EPSON Stylus are registered trademarks of Seiko Epson Corporation.
Other trademarks are the property of their respective owners.
Conventional Pigment Inks:
Because pigments exist in a solid particle
state, they have good lightfastness,
however, over time the outer color fades,
leaving color only in the interior portion of
the particle.
Page 4
11/00