You may have wondered what the difference is between pigment and dye ink. In this article, we will explore the difference between the two types of ink, what they are best used for and what are pros and cons are.
What is pigment ink?
Pigment ink is ink where the particles effectively ‘float’ or sit on the top the paper. They are larger particles than those of dye ink.
What is dye ink?
In dye ink, the particles are fully dissolved in the ink. This is often compared to the way that sugar dissolves in water. This means that the ink effectively ‘saturates’ the paper that is it printed on.
What are the advantages of pigment ink?
Pigment ink lasts a lot longer than dye ink does. It is less likely to lead to smudging or water damage than dye ink.
The fact that pigment ink sits on top of paper fibres instead of soaking in means that it works better for printing on matte paper or card stock.
What are the disadvantages of pigment ink?
Compared to dye ink, the colours produced by pigment ink can be less vibrant. This means that dye ink may be the better choice for printing photos.
In addition, pigment ink is usually more expensive than dye ink. Both the printers that use pigment and the ink itself often cost more than for dye inks.
What is pigment ink best used for?
Pigment ink is the better choice for normal printed documents, especially those that need to be archived for long periods of time. That can mean text documents or other non-photo prints.
What are the advantages of dye ink?
Dye ink can make colours in very bright, meaning that it is good for colour images and prints.
Dye ink is usually also cheaper than pigment ink.
What are the disadvantages of dye ink?
However, dye ink isn’t perfect or the most suitable for every use.
For one, it is more likely than pigment to fade in sunlight. In a similar way, it doesn’t store as well, meaning that it can fade over time in storage.
It is also more likely to smudge in the event that it gets wet.
What is Dye Ink Best Used for?
Due to its tendency to ‘soak’ into the paper, dye ink is best for home printing, particularly of photos.
How do I know which cartridges are Pigment or Dye Ink?
Some manufacturers, such as Canon, clearly separate the naming of their series. Canon’s PGI cartridges refer to pigment ink, whilst Canon CLI stands for dye (‘ChromaLife’) cartridges. This is why, within a series such as Canon 580XL, black cartridges are marked as PGI (pigment) whilst photo black and colours such as cyan, magenta, and yellow are CLI (ChromaLife, or dye).
The other main manufacturers don’t distinguish between ink types so clearly. Epson DURABrite and UltraChrome cartridges tend to be pigment-based. Epson also offers hybrid pigment and dye inks.
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