Print Permanence
The expected life of a print before visible fading or colour shift, under stated display conditions.
Measured in
years
In depth
Ratings come from accelerated testing under defined light levels and are always conditional — a print rated for 100 years assumes indoor display at moderate illumination behind glass, not a sunlit window. Permanence depends on the whole system of ink, paper and display conditions, so any figure quoted for ink alone is meaningless.
Examples in practice
A print rated at 200 years framed under glass may fade visibly within five years in direct sunlight.