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How to Preserve Inkjet Printed Photos

Humidity, ozone and light affect inkjet-printed photos, causing fading and deterioration of the image. These same things affect standard printed photos. However, with home-printed photos, fading and deterioration may happen much quicker. This is largely due to the quality of the printer and paper. To preserve your printed inkjet photos so that they last longer than a few years, you will need to start thinking about photo preservation before printing that first photo.

Things You'll Need

  • High-quality photo paper
  • Glass frame
  • Acid-free photo album
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Instructions

    • 1

      Read the printer's manufacturer report on photo testing (usually found on the box) when selecting which printer to use. Every manufacturer does in-house and/or independent testing to determine how many years their inkjet photos are likely to last. Although there are inconsistencies in how these tests are performed, it does give you a basic method of comparing inkjet printers for printing photos that last.

    • 2

      Use high-quality photo paper made by the manufacturer of your printer. For example, if you have an HP printer, use HP photo paper.

    • 3

      Display the photos in a glass frame or acid-free photo album. In a study presented at the Imaging Conference Japan 2007, photos kept in glass frames had significantly less fading due to less ozone exposure. Photo albums with plastic sleeves will also protect photos from ozone.

    • 4

      Do not hang or display your photos where they will receive direct sunlight through a window. Direct light will accelerate the fading process.

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