1. Use a pigment-based ink-jet ink cartridge in your ink-jet printer. According to the Northeast Document Conservation Center, pigment-based ink is thicker, dissolves less and is not as susceptible to light and moisture in the environment. Pigment-based inks are longer lasting.
2. Use high quality, coated ink-jet paper in your ink-jet printer, and preferably of the same brand and maker as the ink-jet ink you have chosen to use. According to the Northeast Document Conservation Center, coated ink-jet paper has a coating that helps ink absorb into the paper so the ink doesn't seep or smear as much as with other papers. Coated papers work especially well with pigment-based inks. The solutions in a coating on a coated, ink-jet paper can consist of polymers, clays and other chemicals and help the ink-jet paper to dry faster.
3. Allow ink-jet paper to completely dry before handling. Rapid printing also can result in smeared pages when one paper is resting in the printer paper tray and another page is rapidly deposited atop it before ink has completely dried. Allow each ink-jet page to dry undisturbed for at least one minute.
4. Spray dry, printed ink-jet paper with a preserving fixative spray. There are many brands of fixative sprays made for ink-jet-printed documents and photographs. Find fixative sprays in scrapbook, craft and photography stores. When spraying your printed ink-jet paper, hold it upright and spray the page in a well-ventilated room. The page will dry in approximately 30 minutes. Some fixative sprays have heavy fumes even once dry. According to Jerry's Artarama, fixative sprays protect ink-jet paper from moisture, fading and ink smears.
5. Store printed ink-jet paper properly to avoid smearing. According to the Northeast Document Conservation Center, ink-jet inks are easily affected by environmental conditions such as moisture and air pollution. Keep printed materials in folders or out of direct light exposure when storing printed ink-jet paper over the long term.
No comments:
Post a Comment