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What is the difference between pigmented and dye based ink?

April 26, 2017based difference dye ink pigmented

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What is the difference between pigmented and dye based ink?

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A Ink consists of a carrier fluid (which in most popular desktop and wide-format photo printers is water) and a colorant which is dye or pigment, or a combination of both. In addition it contains glycol or glycerin which is used to control the drying time of the ink. A pigment is a very fine powder of solid colorant particles and these are suspended in the carrier fluid. A dye is a colorant which is fully dissolved in the carrier fluid and will not separate no matter how long it is left. Neither type of ink is waterproof as they are both water based fluids. It is the coating on the paper which determines whether a print is splash proof or waterproof. The main difference between the two is that pigmented ink does not fade as quickly as dye based ink when left for long periods in daylight. However each printer is designed to use one type of ink or the other and you should use the recommended type for your printer to get the best results.