Some time ago and at some dealer's Web site, I saw a UV spray for coating prints done on inkjets. Has anyone tried such a product and, if so, how well (or poorly) did it work? Also, if it worked well, where did you get it? The memory of where I saw it has fallen into a black hole.

-- Barbara Coultry (bcoultry@nycap.rr.com), February 19, 1999

Answers

I've partially answered my own question. Found something called "Maxim XE" at www.tssphoto.com, a Scotchgard product at www.mmm.com, "Print Guard" at www.mediastreet.com/guard.htm, and mention of "Graphix Overcoat" spray and Krylon "UV Resistant Clear" spray #1305 at someone's personal Web site. I also looked at UV protecting laminating film at www.usi-laminate.com. Though I've found product names, I still need some input for pros and cons of the various products. What's really needed, of course, is fade-resistant ink.

-- Barbara Coultry (bcoultry@nycap.rr.com), February 21, 1999.

Hi Barbara! Thanks for the question (and answer)! I've had pretty limited success in the past with the UV-protecting sprays. Laminates tend to be better, and most particularly the cold- mount ones, vs hot-mount. Apparently a lot of the UV protection is actually in the adhesive used for the cold-mount films. Actually though, it turns out that a lot of the dyes are LIGHT sensitive, not just UV sensitive. On inside walls, not too near windows, inkjet prints seem to last a really long time (a few years anyway), but put them in the light from a window, and they'll fade fast. The output from HP's PhotoSmart printer is markedly more light-resistant than that from other inkjets, although Epson's newest printers are apparently about twice as good as the earlier models. Epson reportedly has some new photo-quality models coming, we'll see how they do...

-- Dave Etchells (hotnews@imaging-resource.com), February 25, 1999.