Fading paper photographs wanted - best materials?

[halogenid]

Hello!

An unusual question led me to this forum. For a diploma work at a photography department at university I let photographs fade in sun light, because I find this slow process and the results beautiful. (So faking with photoshop is not an option)
I have tested many photographic materials (chemical RA4 photo process development, different inkjet printers,..) and the best fading and color shift characteristics I've got with thermal sublimation prints from this photo print stations at drugstores. The problem ist, that these prints are quite small. Now I'm searching for a printing method, that gives me as close as possible fading results as from this thermal sub photo printers, but in larger formats (about 120cm to 100cm, 47in x 39in). The endproduct should be onto something like photo paper, if possible glossy.

I don't already exactly got the similarity between thermal sublimation printers (these for photographs with this color cartridge for the ink foil inside) and larger format dye sublimation printers, which look as they are working very similar to "normal" inkjet printers, except this transfer process afterwards.


[ATTACH=CONFIG]5938[/ATTACH]
this thermal sublimation print was placed about 4 months in direct sunlight (the circle was masked)



- Do you know from dye sub materials (papers, ink and printer brands,..) that fade in a similar way to the thermal print I've posted. I like that all graduations fade equally fast and that colors shift to magenta.

- Does sublimation paper in large dye sub printers have similar haptics like "normal" photo paper and does anything speak against it to be used as an "end-medium" for a photographs without heat transfer afterward?

- If this isn't a good idea, is it possible to substrate onto something similar like photo paper / cardboard?

- If you think dye sublimation prints are not compareable regarding the fading characteristics, do you know about thermal sub photo printers that print larger than A4?



Any information is welcome!


best, halogenid

[Justin]

Quick comment, send your prints to Shetland, the UV up here is incredible, prints that should last 3 years outside can be seen to start dissapearing in 2 or 3 months! Lol