Are you struggling with choosing a suitable ink while comparing Pigment Vs Dye Ink Printer?
Don’t get upset. It’s a common problem for printer users. Especially beginners get perplexed to make a decision as both of these inks have particular positive points.
So, we have come up with a great solution for you. This article will cover the ins and outs of pigment and dye ink printers that come from our hands-on experience. We hope you will get relief from your puzzled state and improve your printing experience.
Let’s make a move.
What Is Pigment Ink Printers
A Pigment ink printer is an excellent printing option that uses pigment-based ink for printing. These types of inks, coming from pigment powder, get broken into small particles.
Usually, manufacturers keep these particles in a chemical compound like alcohol or water. In most cases, tiny particles adhere to paper fibres. This liquid that contains pigment, gets easily absorbed in the print papers. That’s why pigment inks are the best option for printing on glossy papers.
Pigment ink printers offer high durability that enables you to preserve a printed document for decades. Besides, there is no possibility of smudging during printing through pigment ink.
Most noteworthy, these printers resist water contamination with excellent efficiency. You can use a pigment ink printer under high sunlight and intense moisture without compromising its performance.
It also promotes the colour blending capacity of a colour printer to a large extent. All of these features make pigment ink printers dependable for photographers, commercial printings, personal uses, etc.
Pros
- Excellent tolerance against external hazards, like excessive heat and moisture
- Fast drying on print papers
- High water resistance
- Less potentiality of smudging
- Impressive longevity of print papers
- Keeps the papers safe from fading
Cons
- Multi-colour printing is not so impressive
- Little bit expensive compared to its counterpart
Best Pigment Ink Printers
- Epson Surecolor P700
- Canon ImagePROGRAPH Pro-300
Check on Amazon for more details.
What Is Dye Ink Printers
Dye ink printer is an effective printer that uses dye ink which is simply a liquid colourant of water, alcohol, or other chemicals. Usually, dye-based inks are reputable for producing sharp texts in prints.
Do you know what’s their USP (Unique Selling Point)?
It’s their capability of dealing with prints having vibrant colours. Besides, they include softness in colour printing.
While consumers are looking for a cost-effective printer for their projects, dye ink printers are the most preferable in most cases.
Newbees and small-scale project-runners prefer this printer because here they get the combination of quality and price-to-performance ratio.
But you have to face some issues while using a dye ink printer. Dye ink takes a huge time to get dry. Besides, its longevity is not up to the mark as pigment inks. That’s why this printer remains a little bit backfoot despite its economical and lively printing.
Pros
- Compatible with vibrant colours
- Easy and quick setup and printing
- Economical
- High-quality printing
- Ensures softness in print papers
- Comparatively more available
Cons
- Vulnerable against sunshine and water
- Moderate shelf life
- High smudging potential
- Prin gets fade
Best Dye Ink Printers
- Epson EcoTank L3150
- Epson WorkForce ET-14000
Check for details: Amazon
Factors That Make Difference Between Pigment And Dye Ink Printers
Printing technology is getting improved day by day. So, it’s a great challenge to differentiate between Pigment Vs Dye Ink Printer. Then, what should you do?
You need to focus on some particular points that significantly impact printing. Let’s take a look at the required factors to make a proper choice.
Cost Performance
Every printer user will accept that money matters during printing. If you consider the cost performance of these printer inks, dye ink will be the winner without any doubt. Do you know why?
Pigment ink printers consist of costly components. Besides, the manufacturing process of these printers is more hectic than a dye ink printer. So, you should go for the dye ink for your printer if you have a budget constraint.
Types Of Paper
This is another vital issue for this comparison. Pigment ink is worthwhile for almost all kinds of papers. Moreover, you can use this ink while printing on metals and plastics. Isn’t it fantastic?
On the other hand, dye inks are usually effective for sturdy papers. You can’t handle a long-term printing project by using dye ink on glossy papers. So, the pigment ink printer is the winner of this section.
Printing Quality
We can say from our first-hand experience that both of these inks provide the almost same quality of prints. If you intend to achieve high-class in text printing, Dye ink is highly recommended. It’s because dye ink ensures both sharpness and darkness in texts.
But pigment ink printers blend different colours with so much perfection. That’s you can rely on this for having decent photos in photography.
Dye Ink Vs Pigment Ink For Photo Printing
In the case of photo printing, dye ink allows you to handle a wide variety of colours smoothly. But it never assures you of fading-free photo printing. On that point, professionals and hobbyists prefer pigment ink printers.
Besides, they are supportive of various photo papers. You can check “How To Use Photo Paper In Printer” to get a better understanding.
These printers ensure colour stability along with excellent print resolution. For example, Epson Surecolor P700 offers a print resolution of around 57601440 DPI. That’s quite amazing, isn’t it?
Durability
Pigment ink is the winner with a great margin when you are concerned about the durability of printer inks. It doesn’t get absorbed quickly.
So, the pigment ink can hold on to the page fibre for a significant time. Besides, there is no considerable page breaking or smudging happening.
In contrast to this, dye ink can’t deliver satisfying performance under sunlight due to its vulnerability to UV rays. This ink easily fades and gets absorbed. You have to store the printer head in a compact condition to resist the drying of ink.
That’s why you need to handle a lot of mess if you use dye ink in your printers.
Water Resistance
Pigment ink is thicker than dye ink. So, it can stick on paper for a long time without causing any hassle.
But dye ink is not as resistant to water as pigment ink. As it is found in liquid form in the market and papers absorb it quickly, a slight split of dye-based ink causes a complete hazard to your documents.
Stability In Colour
Pigment-based printer inks provide higher stability of colours compared to dyes. As pigment inks consist of powder of solid colourants, they can create bonds with the paper fibre while sitting on the paper surface.
That’s why they can hold the colour for more time than dye inks.
Longevity
Dye-based printer inks are not resistant to UV rays, moisture, and water. So, you can’t preserve a document or photo printed through dye ink for many years.
On the contrary, pigment inks are fade-resistant and show amazing tolerance against water contamination. That means you should prefer a pigment ink printer to enjoy long-lasting printing.
Usability
Dye ink is a reliable solution for printing business materials, graphical presentations, portfolios, etc. But you can utilise pigment inks to print barcode labels, photographs, commercial high-volume documents, etc.
If you require longevity, pigment ink printers are the best. Again, dye-based printer ink is good for materials that you don’t need to preserve for a long period.
Head-to-Head Comparisons
Now, it’s high time you see the specification comparisons of Pigment Vs Dye Ink Printer at a glance. It enables you to sum up your thoughts and make the right decision quickly.
| Comparison Factor | Pigment Ink Printer | Dye Ink Printer |
| Print Quality | Moderate | High |
| Fading Under Sunlight | Takes time | Quick |
| Softness | Low | Excellent |
| Durability | High | Medium |
| Functionality | High | Low |
| Longevity | High | Moderate |
| Availability | Comparatively less available | Available |
| Usability | Photographs, commercial documents, Portfolios, business papers, barcodes | Portfolios, graphics materials |
| Compatible Devices | PC, Laptops, smart devices | Laptops, mobiles, PC |
| Cost Performance | Expensive | Cheaper |
| Colour Competency | Lighter | Vibrant |
| Water Resistance | Outstanding | Low |
| Glossy Paper Compatibility | High | Low |
Tips
- Avoid changing printer ink in midstream.
- Use a printer that is compatible with both pigment and dye ink.
- Store the printhead of the dye ink printer in an airtight place. It saves the dye ink from getting dry.
- Use photo papers that are non-reflective. It resists fading for a significant period.
FAQs
- Do HP Printers Use Pigment Ink?
HP printers that deal with black and white paintings, use pigment ink. But colour HP printers usually use dye ink.
- Is Epson 664 Ink Dye Or Pigment?
All Epson 664 printer inks are dye-based. They provide a variety of colours but are poorly resistant to water and fading.
- Which Printer Is Most Economical For Ink Costs?
- Canon Pixma TS5051
- Epson EcoTank ET-4760
Final Words: Which Ink Type Is Best For The Printer?
Now, we think choosing between Pigment Vs Dye Ink Printer will not be a hassle for you. It depends on your requirements and budget to a large extent.
If you demand better quality in colour printing with low-cost features, go for dye ink printers. But choose a pigment ink printer to experience durable and long-lasting printing with excellent print resolution.
We tried to cover all minute details about these printer inks so that you can achieve extensive knowledge. For more updates, stay tuned. Happy printing.
