Achieving industry-leading lightfastness in a multi-dyeload printer presents many challenges in addition to those present in 3 or 4 color writing systems. This report outlines some of the criteria and strategies used to develop a new multi-dyeload printer that delivers both office printing versatility and photo reproduction with breakthrough image quality and permanence benefits. A brief background discussion of a 6 ink writing system will be presented. Design rules concerning dye selection and media and ink formulation will be detailed. Some factors that impart light permanence challenges include color balance criteria, dye loading, writing system treatment during printing, media design, and ink-media interactions. The end result of this work is the development of the HP DeskJet 5550 printer, new HP #57 and HP #58 pens, and the new HP Premium Plus Photo Paper (replaced earlier product of the same name). This versatile printing system features photo reproduction with high gloss, excellent 6 ink photo image quality with ultra low granularity, 73 years predicted glass protected lightfade permanence, and 49 years unprotected lightfastness with low reciprocity factors.
Eric Burch, Alexey Kabalnov, Nils Miller, Charles Dupuy, Bor-Jiunn Niu, Pat Wang, Shilin Guo, Paul Tyrell, Larrie Deardurff, "Designing Lightfast Inks and Media for Multi-Dyeload Printers" in Proc. IS&T Int'l Conf. on Digital Printing Technologies (NIP18), 2002, pp 342 - 347, https://doi.org/10.2352/ISSN.2169-4451.2002.18.1.art00084_1