Widening Options

"We find the demand is for media that have life spans in the range of six months to two years," Halkyard says.

"It's really the ink that determines the life of the print," Seeler notes, although prints can be treated with sprays and laminates to extend life.

Roland spokeswoman Julie Korneychuk says pigment inks have a longer outdoor life than dye-based inks: "Roland's pigment inks will last six to 12 months outdoors without a laminate. Use of a UV laminate will double that," Korneychuk says. Roland is developing a longer-lasting solution with Avery-Dennison.