I don't know how the older laser printers worked, but the older copiers that
used the liquid somehow (Copies came out wet and smelling like some kind of
petroleum product) did produce copies that faded. I have a stack of plain
white paper that used to be copies of genealogy information.
  The newer laser printers and copiers use a powder and fix it by heat (I
think) and the print should be fairly stable.
Marge Green

Gordon Grimwade wrote:
>
> I have always been led to believe the laser printers are inherently
> unstable.  Going back to the late 80s I recall we were all warned not to
> produce theses on laser printers for fear they would disappear after about
> 10 years.  Recent technological changes have also, I'm advised by
> photographer colleagues, rendered inkjets quite reliable for 40+ years
> although you still can't beat the real print.
>
> I'm chasing up a few other leads on this issue and will advise if anything
> worthwhile comes up.  With all the hype around I don't know if we can
> believe anyone.  Perhaps we could pick up on this issue in 2303?
>
> Actually, I like the idea of glass plate negs and quill pens.
>
> Sceptically yours
>
> Gordon Grimwade
>
>      From: Ron May <[log in to unmask]>
>      Reply-To: HISTORICAL ARCHAEOLOGY <[log in to unmask]>
>      Date: Tue, 28 Oct 2003 15:54:02 -0500
>      To: [log in to unmask]
>      Subject: Re: Archiving photos
>
>      Barbara, The photos I used in the 1999 United States Army Fort
>      Rosecrans 100th Commemoration were printed on laserjets and the
>      images are badly faded, even though they are stored in a room with
>      UV sleeved lights that only come on three days a week. The
>      long-term survival is seriously questionable. Fortunately, we have
>      original prints.
>
>      Ron May
>      Legacy 106, Inc.