DK wrote:
Michael Johnson wrote:
DK wrote:
TJ wrote:
I printed a copy of a one-page magazine article about my father for his
funeral 13 months ago. The article included both text and a color photo.
I used an HP PSC 2110 printer, Kodak Premium Picture Paper, and HP ink
cartridges that I had refilled numerous times with aftermarket ink.
Since the funeral, the print has been hanging on our living room wall,
framed in a dollar store frame and behind glass. While it is a bright
room, the spot where the print hangs does not receive direct sunlight at
any time.

So far, there has been no discernible fading whatsoever. The print looks
as good to me today as it did the day I printed it. I fully expect it to
look good for years to come.

Accelerated tests of the type done by many labs and/or magazines would
have you believe that aftermarket ink starts fading practically before
it finishes drying. Nothing could be further from the truth. With just a
moderate amount of care, aftermarket ink can last a good, long, time.
With poor care, even OEM ink will fade quickly.
Of course it is OK after a year - it is under glass! Not that there is
anyhting wrong with refilling but thus far every single test I am aware
of has been pretty unequivocal: aftermarket inks fade faster,
sometimes a lot faster, than OEM from reputable vendors (Epson,
Canon).
Every single print I have produced using after market ink has not faded
at all. Now I don't store them on the dash board of my truck but I also
don't hermetically seal them either. The problem with the tests I have
reviewed is they usually don't test the better after market inks. Also,
many of these tests are done to have a predetermined outcome which is
why they use the more inferior after market inks to test against the OEM
inks.

Not true when it comes to nifty-stuff.com user tests.
http://www.nifty-stuff.com/docs/inkjet-fading.php
http://www.nifty-stuff.com/docs/inkjet-fading1.php

I didn't say all tests were bad just most of them. Any test of anything
printed in a magazine is subject to scrutiny, IMO.

Besides, if I ever do have a print that fades then all I need to
do is print another one. I am willing to get 95%+ of durability of OEM
ink to save 85% of its cost. A good trade, IMO.

Totally agree. That's why I refill, too. But the fact remains - for some
reason imitators thus far can never get it right.

I can only go on what my own personal experience is with after market
ink that I actually use. I have never had a print that faded. Maybe I
would if I kept them in a different environment. Also, any prints I
make have a digital copy on hard drive and DVD backups which never
degrade. Fading just isn't an issue for me and I am probably no
different than 95% of the population. The touting of longevity is more
for marketing bragging rights than real world usefulness for the at home
inkjet printer user, IMO.