Inkjet vs. Silver Halide Prints – 4 Ways that Inkjet Wins

If you’ve bought a photographic print in the last 200 years, it was probably created using a process called silver halide printing. This traditional printmaking method is often regarded as the purest form of photographic printing. However, in the last 25 years, photo labs have increasingly adopted inkjet printing as a superior alternative to silver halide. In this article, we’ll compare the two print processes and highlight the top 4 benefits of inkjet photo printing.

Understanding Silver Halide Prints

Silver halide prints, also known as chromogenic or c-prints, are created by exposing light-sensitive paper to light through a negative. This triggers a chemical reaction in silver crystals on the paper’s surface. Chemical development then reveals the image, followed by fixing and washing steps to stabilize and finalize the print.

Over two centuries, advancements in emulsion chemistry, paper manufacturing, and printing techniques have refined the process, improving image quality, speed, and convenience. Despite recent technological advancements from companies like Durst, Noritsu, and Fuji, silver halide printing remains nuanced, specialized, and relatively complex.

The Emergence of Inkjet Printing

Inkjet printing, which became popular around the turn of the century, uses a different approach. Instead of using light to expose an image on paper, inkjet printing places pigmented ink drops on the paper’s surface. Major players in inkjet technology for photographic prints include Epson’s P-Series, Canon’s imagePROGRAF PRO series, and HP’s Designjet printers. While they all employ different methods for firing ink drops, the basic process remains the same.

Why Photo Labs are Transitioning to Inkjet Printing

Before diving into the top benefits, it’s worth noting that many photo labs are transitioning from silver halide printing due to the high maintenance costs of aging traditional silver halide printers like the Durst Theta or ZBE Chromira. These machines require costly contracts, prompting labs to invest in the next generation of printing technology.

1. Larger Color Gamut Potential

Inkjet printing offers a much larger color gamut. While silver halide uses different light-sensitive layers with color couplers to create cyan, magenta, and yellow-based images, the latest inkjet printers from Epson and Canon use up to 12 colors to extend into the visible color spectrum. For example, Epson’s P9570 includes CMYK inks and adds orange, green, and violet inks to stretch the gamut.

2. Sharper Details

With ink drop sizes as small as 2 picoliters, inkjet photo prints can achieve much sharper details. The tiny droplets, combined with light-tinted inks like light cyan, light magenta, and light gray, make the visual drops imperceptible except under magnification. While silver halide chemistry provides beautiful continuous tones, it can’t achieve the fine details that inkjet printers can through additive dots.

3. More Paper Type Choices

Inkjet printing offers far more paper options. Silver halide has very limited paper choices, primarily from Kodak and Fuji, due to the specific construction required for light-sensitive dyes. In contrast, inkjet papers receive special coatings, and nearly any paper or substrate can be coated for inkjet reception. This opens up a world of options, including photo papers, 100% cotton papers, bamboo papers, linen, canvas, and more. This flexibility allows labs to differentiate and develop unique products.

4. Better Longevity and Archivability

Pigment inkjet prints last much longer than silver halide prints. Since silver halide prints are created by light exposure, they are more susceptible to deterioration from light, heat, and humidity. Henry Wilhelm of Wilhelm Imaging Research has tested print longevity for decades. His accelerated tests show that even the most archival silver halide papers, like Kodak Endura and Fuji Crystal, offer only 20-40 years of longevity.

In contrast, Wilhelm Imaging Research has shown that inkjet prints from Epson and Canon, using archival papers, can last 200 to 400 years. This means inkjet-printed photographs can outlast silver halide prints by about ten times, making them the preferred choice for photographers seeking long-lasting works.

Conclusion

These are the top 4 reasons why many photo labs are transitioning from silver halide photographic printing to inkjet printers from Epson, Canon, and HP. IT Supplies, founded 25 years ago at the dawn of digital photography, offers extensive expertise in photographic and fine art printing. If you’re interested in learning more about transitioning to inkjet printing, visit us at itsupplies.com or give us a call. We’d love to hear from you! Thanks for reading, and have a great day!