There are pigment ink and dye ink on the market. Many users may not know the difference between them. Today we will talk about the difference between pigment ink and dye ink in detail.
- I. The difference between pigment ink and dye ink
1. Different particle sizes
(1) Pigment ink:
A dispersion composed of particles, with a minimum particle size ranging from nanometers to micrometers, which is much larger than the molecular diameter of dye ink. The particle size of pigments mainly used to make pigment inks can be divided into nanometers and micrometers. The average particle size (LD50) of the nanometer level is between 40 and 125 nanometers. And the maximum particle size (LD90) cannot exceed 180 nanometers. The particle size of the micrometer level is between 0.125 and 0.300 micrometers.
(2) Dye ink:
Its dye colorant is mainly in the form of a single molecule and completely dissolved in the ink. Its colorant contains many hydrophilic particles. Its particles are small and relatively easy to dissolve. It can be dissolved in water or other chemical solvents. Dye ink is a molecular-level fully soluble ink, generally with a diameter of 1 to 2 nanometers.
2. Different use effects
(1) Pigment ink:
It is easily absorbed by the material after printing. When it is printed on a flat and smooth paper, it has good light radiation performance and strong color reproduction ability, so the printed image is more colorful.
(2) Dye ink:
It does not have the polymer protection of the surface layer of pigment ink, so under harsh conditions, the molecules will easily decompose, causing fading.
3. Different nozzle blockage during use
(1) Pigment ink:
Its particles are large and generally easy to cause blockage, which will affect the color of the printed image.
(2) Dye ink:
It is not easy to cause nozzle blockage. Even if it is blocked, it is easier to unclog the nozzle.
4. Different waterproof properties
(1) Pigment ink:
It is insoluble in water, so it needs to be ultra-finely dispersed before it can be used. When the printed paper encounters moisture, it has strong water resistance and is not easy to smudge.
(2) Dye ink:
It is a water-soluble ink and is easy to dissolve. Therefore, when the printed manuscript encounters moisture, the colorant originally fixed on the medium will be dissolved again, and it will continue to diffuse around with the flow of water, resulting in serious smudge phenomenon.
5. Different chemical properties
(1) Pigment ink:
It has good chemical stability and optical stability, good water resistance and light resistance, high safety, and high color sharpness and density during printing. When larger pigment aggregates are exposed to ultraviolet rays and ozone, only the surface layer will be destroyed, while the colorant in the inner layer will still maintain its color characteristics, so it has high light resistance and weather resistance.
(2) Dye ink:
Its colorant is directly exposed to the air, so under the influence of light and ozone, the chemical chain of the dye colorant will be broken, resulting in discoloration of the colorant, which will cause the print to fade, thus affecting its preservation performance.
6. Different color development principles
(1) Pigment ink:
mainly through colorants or pigments, which are physically attached to the surface of the medium (such as copy paper or printing materials, etc.) in a physical form (using high molecular polymers as adhesives) before color development.
(2) Dye ink:
It needs to penetrate into the gaps between the molecules of the medium and precipitate before forming color.
- II. Which is better, pigment ink or dye ink?
1. Color
(1) Pigment ink:
The photos printed by it generally have good waterproof, light-resistant, anti-oxidation and preservation properties, but the ability to reproduce colors will be slightly worse.
(2) Dye ink:
It has good color reproduction ability, but because the printed manuscript has poor waterproof, light-resistant and anti-oxidation ability, the photos are still prone to fading after long-term storage.
2. Durability
(1) Pigment ink:
It is relatively waterproof and sun-resistant, not easy to fade, and will not smudge, so the printed works can be preserved for a long time.
(2) Dye ink:
Generally, it does not have waterproof properties, and its sun-resistant and light-resistant properties are also poor, so the printed works are not suitable for long-term preservation.
3. Print media
Generally, some pigment inks can only print RC waterproof photo paper, but cannot print PVC non-laminated card materials and cast-coated glossy photo paper, and cannot print non-waterproof photo paper, etc. However, there are also some pigment inks that can print on a variety of materials, so when using pigment ink to print more varieties of printing materials, you need to carefully choose the right product.
4. Price
From the perspective of ink price, pigment ink is generally much more expensive than dye ink.
Summary
The above is the difference between dye ink and dye ink. You can make a choice according to your needs.
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