I have been reading up on printers and my understanding of the situation is you get have to choose between not-so-pretty, color-shifting archival inks or spectacular short-life inks.
You must be reading outdated literature because your conclusion is incorrect. There are many ink/media combinations from Epson, Canon, and Hewlett Packard the will rival or exceed the longevity of conventional prints. Dye based inks, on suitable paper and properly displayed, will last for decades. Pigment based inks are available which will last even longer and are just as brilliant.
I'm wondering just how dramatic metamerism is in the Epson archival inks when viewed under different light sources.
Color change due to viewing in different light sources is no more pronounced in inkjet prints today than prints from most other sources. Time of day/year and weather will cause a change in color of most objects viewed in natural light. The same is true of objects observed in artificial light of varying color temperature and spectrum. I don't think it presents any more of a problem for digital prints.
Just how soon would non-archival inks loose their beauty?
Greg Fraser
Prints made with cheap ink on copier paper, framed under glass, displayed out of direct bright light, and kept in atmospheric conditions not harmful to children and other small animals, can stay attractive for a surprising length of time. I have several such prints on my lanai from a H/P 500C that are five years old and still look acceptable.
Dave East Englewood ----------------------------- It takes a firkin of merkins to make a merkin jerkin.
