Print photos that resist fading

"We recommend consumers buy ink from the printer manufacturers… otherwise, you'll see degraded print quality and clogged print nozzles. To save money, buy extra-large capacity cartridges."
- Justin Yu, associate editor, CNet

HP invests in thousands of hours of fade-resistance testing at Wilhelm Imaging Research. The end result: ink and paper that works with your printer to create photos that resist fading for generations (compared with less than a year for store brand inks).¹

Tests show that when using the latest HP inkjet print cartridges, photos printed on HP Premium Plus photo paper resist light fading more than twice as long as color photos processed in a lab.²

Direct sunlight can cause your framed photos to fade more quickly.

Photos that you hang on the fridge in direct sunlight will fade over time. But if you archive a digital file, you can reprint the image as often as you want.

When learning how to frame and display photographs, follow these tips to protect them from light exposure (one of the biggest causes of photo fading) and other types of damage:

• Aluminum frames are ideal, as they are lightweight and are not affected by humidity.
• Be sure to put an acid-free mat between the frame and the photo to prevent your prints from sticking to the glass over time.
• Try to display your photos out of direct sunlight.
• If that's unavoidable, try rotating prints occasionally or using frames with anti-UV glass. This type of frame is often found at photo stores and frame shops.
• Use the right ink. Original HP inks resist the effects of filtered sunlight, indoor halogens, and common fluorescent and incandescent light.
• Use the right paper. For photos that last for generations, use HP's best paper: HP Premium Plus photo paper. There are six layers in each piece and each layer has a special job—from controlling ink absorption to building a moisture barrier to creating a smooth, glossy photo surface.

To avoid adhesive album pages, which could potentially damage your pictures, opt for using photo corners instead.

When storing your prints, use these guidelines:

• Keep them out of direct sunlight and humid rooms, such as basements or bathrooms, and away from intense heat. Cool, dry, and dark are the ideal conditions for long-term photo storage.
• Prints stored in an album last longer than those in frames, but avoid albums with self-stick, "magnetic" pages and PVC plastic overlays. These albums cause rapid fading and discoloration.
• Look for albums that are acid- and lignin-free. These chemicals can yellow and damage pictures.

Read more about storing photo prints.

A basic DVD holds 15,000 high-quality pictures.

Saving photos to DVD is an easy, inexpensive, and reliable way to preserve your memories for generations.

Another way to preserve your photo memories is by creating a digital archive of your prints.

DVD is the best option because:

• Each disc holds 4.7GB of data, which translates to more than 15,000 high-quality pictures. That's about seven times the capacity of a CD.
• With HP's innovative double-layer recording technology, you can use DVDs to record almost twice as much data as you can on single-layer DVDs.
• Saving photos to DVD is an easy, inexpensive, and reliable way to preserve your memories for up to 100 years.

Remember: Even though digital information isn't subject to fading, you could lose your images if the disc becomes damaged.

Create a schedule so you backup your images frequently. That way, if one disc is damaged, you won't lose your entire photo archive.

Learn more about archiving your photos on DVD.

Several HP scanners, such as the HP Scanjet G4040 Photo Scanner, offer editing capabilities at the touch of a button.

It's easy to bring old and faded photos back to life with a photo scanner.

• With a scanner like the HP Scanjet G4040 Photo Scanner, you can adjust color and brightness, remove scratches and dust, sharpen photos, and restore faded color.
• You can also scan up to 16 slides or 30 negatives at once with the built-in adapter.
• Learn how to improve your original photo prints through scanning.