A Closer Look at the Effects of Temperature and Humidity on Inkjet Photographic Prints

Abstract

Previous attempts to measure the thermal dark fade of inkjet prints by the Arrhenius method have been confounded by dye migration. When tests are carried out at a constant, absolute humidity equivalent to 50% relative humidity (RH) at 24°C (constant 13°C dew point), temperatures as high as 75°C can be utilized for many ink-media combinations without encountering significant dye migration. Concerns have been raised that these conditions might result in much lower levels of residual moisture in the imagebearing layers, and this in turn might affect the observed rates of density loss and/or yellow stain formation. In this paper, we compare the results for Arrhenius studies of inkjet photographic papers and inks that have been run under both constant 13°C dew point and constant 50% RH conditions. We also explore the interrelationship between temperature, dew point, and relative humidity over narrower ranges that might be found in an indoor home environment.