Many plastics go bad with age. Some dries out and cracks and other plastics gets oily and smelly. Yes, if I use selenium or sulfur toning, the IMAGE gets more stable, but what if the RC BASE gets bad with age?

I want my photo album to "live" for generations, so maybe I should only use fibre paper and not RC because they are faster to work with?

-- Patric in Sweden (jenspatric@mail.bip.net), September 11, 1999

Answers

If you want the prints to live really long, use FB paper, and tone them in selenium or sepia toner. Recently, an alternative is offered in the form of MACO EXPO DISPLAY material. That is a "paper" with a pure PE carrier (not usual resin-coated paper, but a real PE carrier), which is said to be archivally stable, yet being as easy to handle as RC paper (washing times etc.). The carrier, however, is not a 100% opaque, which, on the one hand, means you can also use it backlit, but , on the other hand, that the image might look bad when mounted on an inappropriate carrier. If you don't trust plastics, stick with FB.

-- Thomas Wollstein (thomas_wollstein@web.de), September 13, 1999.

Take a look at another thread here.."RC Paper... bad?"

Micheal J. Kravit's response pretty much tells it all.

-- Gene Crumpler (nikonguy@worldnet.att.net), September 14, 1999.

According to articles on tests done on RC prints the plastic in the prints does break down, and the gasses that are released as a result of this breakdown attack the image silver, giving most RC prints a lifespan of ten to fifteen years max. Putting the prints behind glass or storing them in the dark will accelerate these processes. I don't believe any archival toners can help this situation. Currently manufacturers such as Kodak and Ilford are woeking to improve on this, but they are still reluctant to make any claims as to the lasting quality of prints made with their RC papers. Personally I prefer the depth and subtlety of prints made on fiber paper and also like the idea that once I have gone to all the truoble of perfecting a print it is going to last a while.

-- Les Warren (eyeseales@netscape.net), September 23, 1999.

>> According to articles on tests done on RC prints the plastic in the prints does break down, and the gasses that are released as a result of this breakdown attack the image silver, giving most RC prints a lifespan of ten to fifteen years max.

Hmm, so those of us who have 25-year old RC prints with no sign of deterioration are just kidding ourselves?

However, I certainly agree that if the prints are to last for 'generations', ie 60 years plus, FB properly processed (including toning) is the wisest option.

-- Alan Gibson (Alan.Gibson@technologist.com), September 23, 1999.

Sorry about the bad HTML.

-- Alan Gibson (Alan.Gibson@technologist.com), September 23, 1999.

One more thought. I have a number of RC prints that have become discolored, some within a period as short as 6 months. I have FB prints that were made nearly 45 years ago that have not discolored, even though my darkroom technique was not that great as a teenager.

-- Gene Crumpler (nikonguy@worldnet.att.net), September 27, 1999.