The future is TODAY

25 years later, printing systems for photography and art in general have advanced far more than in the last 300 years! Today, a 20×24 inch photo is not a large-format print. We no longer smell chemicals after a day in the darkroom. We no longer need to print in the dark. Now, prints are barely affected by direct light exposure. But a certain magic of the past is preserved in modern systems: sublimation printing. Any of the substrates ready for sublimation has an emulsion that responds to heat and pressure. One brand in particular has developed emulsion-coated aluminum plates capable of guaranteeing museum-quality prints: CHROMALUX

FACE MOUNT ON ACRYLIC PREMIUM PROCESS

Since 1969, a Swiss company patented Diasec, a process for mounting a photograph printed on paper face-on onto an acrylic sheet. The result is sharper and brighter than traditional mounting behind glass, with color tones that seem to leap off the image. It is believed that Andreas Grusky used this method to mount his work 99 Cent II Diptychon, the most expensive photograph in history. The only problem is that Diasec never became widely used, and obtaining a license to use its complex process required specific chemicals, machinery, and training from the company. Today, the same results are achieved with modern, universally applicable, double-sided acrylic adhesives manufactured by Neschen AG, Drytac, and other companies.

Fiber-based (FB) papers were the standard for high-quality photographic prints from the time photography gained prominence within the visual arts. The major challenge for the full acceptance of inkjet technology by artists, collectors, and museums was developing papers that mimicked the traditional ones used in wet labs. New inkjet materials, including baryta papers and matte cotton papers, are acid- and lignin-free and meet high standards for age resistance, making them suitable for museum and gallery use.