About Inkjet Printer Inks

No matter whether you own an expensive large format printer or a low cost desktop one, you need inks. I will explain the main difference between dye and pigmented inks, both in terms of quality, color rendition, cost and archival properties.

Dye Inks

Dye based inkjet printer inks are created by dissolving a dye (a colored chemical compound) into a liquid. The resulting ink is a homogenous liquid. Dye inks tend to be bright, have a wide color gamut. Unfortunately dyes do not last long. Because of their physical and chemical properties, expect them to last no longer than a few months before color shifting and fading occur. Some companies claim that if you coat the printed materials (by using different forms of lamination), you can stabilize dye based inks. This is a half truth; lamination will protect from UV radiation but will not stop chemical degradation of the dyes. Consequently the inks will last longer but dyes can not be considered archival.

Pigmented Inks

Manufacturers have responded to the need to produce long lasting prints by using pigmented inkjet printer inks. Pigments, not dyes, are suspended into a liquid. The pigments are encapsulated and stabilized. Because of the characteristics of this formulation, pigmented inks are not subject to the archival drawback of dyes. The down side is a somewhat narrower color gamut. Some pigmented inks are actually a hybrid dye/pigment formulation. This is done to increase the gamut and still provide a durable ink.

Manufacturer and Third Party inkjet Printer Inks

Searching for ink cartridges online will reveal a great deal of third party manufacturers who offer so called brand compatible products. These inkjet printer inks are not released by the printer manufacturers and can cost half of the brand name cartridges. If you own a cheap printer you probably do not care either about quality or reliability. On the other hand, if you own a professional machine, there are many "buyer beware" factors. First and foremost, by using third party inks you are pretty much assured your warranty is void. No printer maker will honor a warranty or service contract when they realize you have been using non approved inks. Also, compatible ink manufacturers vary in quality. Some output consistent, good products but many others do not. You will never know if what you buy today is different from what you will receive a month from now. It is a risky game. We all know that inks are expensive but would you put cheap gasoline in your expensive car? My opinion is that, in the scheme of things, it is better to stick with quality products that will provide consistent results and not clog nozzles and cause very expensive repairs.