First, the truth about archival quality…

Printers often go on about how great their products are, that they are the best archival quality and they won’t fade for a hundred years. Let’s be honest here – first off – are we still going to be here in 100 years? We might, but we will probably have redecorated by then or our tastes will have changed or technology will require that we display images in a different way.

I’ve been in the imaging business for 3 decades now and I’ve seen images from 100 years ago, (even 5-10 years) that are in pretty poor condition, faded, falling apart, eaten by cockroaches, water-damaged, cracked and scratched. Read that list again and count how many of them directly relate to fading and what I do with the product before you get it and how many rely on the way the image is handled by you. Mats or mount boards that aren’t acid free, stretcher frames that leech chemicals, framing too soon before outgassing is complete, these things will all cause a print to react negatively (no pun intended) sooner rather than later.

We use all the best products, just like everyone else, in fact The Art House also distributes these products to many businesses in Australia so we know what they are using and what they are telling you. I can tell you that your prints will last 100 years or 75 years or whatever you want to hear because you and I are unlikely to be around to test the theory. And that’s what archival quality is all about – theoretical tests using fast aging processes to test the approximate life of a particular paper or canvas and ink combination under laboratory conditions. While some companies say their products will last 200 years it remains to be seen whether this sort of lifespan is in fact achievable given that airborne impurities, framing materials, changes in the quality of light over that period will have an incalculable effect.

The true archival quality of a Giclee print comes down to several factors – using the correct combination of substrate and inks, the quality of the machine used to print it, the finishing and handling of the print prior to you receiving it and the conditions under which the print is displayed. If you live in a cool dry environment with clean country air your prints will last longer than the same print owned by someone who lives in an apartment in the centre of a busy city in the tropics that leaves their windows open during peak hour traffic.

Now for the truth about what we do…

We print all limited edition art reproductions, open edition art reproductions, professional photographic images and amateur photos on acid-free fine art paper or canvas, products which have a high archival permanence, that have been laboratory tested to retain their image quality to around 75 years before slight fading of the image may be noticed.

We also have some other products, designed for completely different uses that are not archival and we’ll tell you what they are and what you should use them for and how much life you can expect. You’ll see this clearly explained on our Substrate Choices page.

We offer the best warranty in the business – you can read all about it here. Most businesses say they’ll reprint it if you aren’t happy when you come to collect your order, ask them if they will replace it in 5 years time for half price because you scratched it! We will!

I haven’t pulled too many punches here but I’d rather explain to you the reality of print longevity than give you a false impression. It is too easy to say things will last forever but you are I both know that is not the case. I simply want to give you the facts without the fancy marketing words so you know what you can expect from your prints.