What are the different types of inks?
Q: Ink is comprised of a base carrier (water or solvent), a colorant (a dye or a pigment), and small amounts of chemical additives to provide desired characteristics. Most entry-level wide-format inkjet printers use water-based inks, which are comprised primarily of distilled water, a benign solvent known as glycerin, dyes, or pigments and small amounts of UV inhibitors, drying agents, or other chemicals. Water-based dye inks are known for their exceptional color gamut and quick fading. A new breed of enduring-dye inks is extending the life span of prints created with dye-based inks, but these inks produce a smaller range of colors. Water-based pigmented inks are known for their high resistance to fading and typically produce less vivid colors than dye inks. Like pulp in orange juice, pigment particle can be anywhere from 50 to 500 times larger than the molecules in dyes, which are more like granules in Kool-Aid. Because the pigment particles remain suspended in the water or solvent, t
