Dye versus Pigment Ink: Which is Better For Photo Printing?

[15Katey]

I’ve been doing a lot of photo printing as of late and I’m learning tons about the process. Over the past few months, I’ve discovered all sorts of things regarding the paper that produces the best results, the types of files that are necessary as well as the wide range of printers that are available. One area I haven’t focused on until recently is the actually ink that’s used to print color images. Well, I guess I should say “black and white” and color images. After all, black and whites take up a huge space in this arena.

I’ll admit that I’m no expert when it comes to knowing every last detail of high quality printing methods and supplies. I will say, however, that I’m a very fast study and after just a few hours of delving into a subject such as this, I’m confident that I can accurately educate someone on the topic. Well, let’s just say that I’ve done my homework and this is my report. I think I know what I’m talking about now.

In today’s post, I’d like to discuss a few features of two different types of color printing ink. These two inks are dye and pigment. I’m sure you’ve heard of both of these. Each of these inks has its positive attributes as well as negative attributes. When shopping for a photo printer, it’s critical that you know what you’re looking for when it comes time to do the actual printing. If you don’t get it right when you’re laying out the money for the printer, you may actually be throwing that money away.



The image above is an actual photograph of a printed image. I just snapped this one last night. I printed out one of my favorite shots about two days ago and I’m waiting to buy a frame for it. I love this shot. I’m not sure if you can see it, but the paper is high gloss and the result is very high quality. I printed this using our new Canon PIXMA Pro-100. It’s an awesome printer and I’m blown away by the colors every time I use it. The results are a far cry from what they were just 10 years ago.

Dye versus Pigment: What’s the Difference?​

Most of the printers that you and I have the opportunity of purchasing for photo printing will use either dye or pigment based inks. Both of these inks are water based, but there’s a stark difference between the two when it comes to the consistency of each. This information isn’t particularly important to know for any practical reason, but it’s nice to know to impress your friends. Dye based ink is fully water soluble. This means that the dye, when introduced to the fluid that will carry it, dissolves completely in that carrier fluid. There’s no way to separate the two once they mix. I’ve heard it compared to salt water. Once the salt is mixed in, it’s not very easily extracted (without a formal process). Conversely, pigment based inks contain tiny particles that are suspended in the fluid it’s introduced to. The pigment isn’t fully dissolved, but it does look that way to the naked eye. Eventually, that pigment may settle over time if it’s allowed to do so. Think of the pigment as a very fine grained sand. Mixed with water, it may seem to be dissolved, but it’s actually not. Let that fluid sit for a few days and the sand will eventually settle down and separate from the fluid.

Dye versus Pigment: Which is Better?​

Each type of ink I discussed above has a definitive perk when it comes to its use. Actually, whether it’s a perk or not depends on what you’re looking for. The perks have to do with image longevity as well as color gamut. If you’re looking for the longest lasting, most fade resistant printed image you can possibly find, the choice is clear. Pigment based inks can offer resistance to fading for well over 50 years. This is comparable to the highest quality image that was printed in a lab. So, if you’re purchasing art to keep for years and years to come, you should ask the seller which type of ink the art was printed with. If they say pigment, you’re in good shape. If they don’t know, you may want to recommend they read up on the subject.

If you’re selling art, you might want to advertise that each piece was printed with pigment based ink. Discerning buyers will take this as a nod from a talented artist who sells the highest quality prints.

If you’re looking for the boldest of colors and the widest color gamut, you’re going to want to use dye based inks. When using the same number of colors, dye based inks out perform their pigment based counterparts quite often. So, if you’re selling art that’s not meant to last for more than a few years, such as business creative or postcards, but you want that art to look really good, go with the dye based inks. The good news is that lots of headway has been made in the area of keeping dye based inks from fading for more than 20 years. Be careful which brand you purchase though. Knockoff brands most likely don’t use the latest and greatest technology while genuine Canon and Epson inks will.

Two Methods For Avoiding Fade​

There are two things you can do to avoid fading photos. First, keep any printed piece of media out of the sun and away from UV rays. That’s what does the fading. Second, use a less glossy paper to print on. Personally, I’m addicted to high gloss and I’ll take the fading hit, but if longevity is what you’re after, go with a paper that leans more towards matte. No matter what type of ink or printer you use, matte paper will offer more fade resistance.

Now, I didn’t know any of this when I purchased our most recent printer. As I was learning about the various qualities of these two inks, I decided to take a peek to see what I actually bought. As luck would have it, the Canon PIXMA Pro-100 uses dye based ink. I’m happy about that because that’s what I would have wanted. Canon, along with other manufacturers, also makes pigment based ink printers, so if you’re interested in one of them, I can suggest you take a look at the Canon PIXMA PRO-10 or the Canon PIXMA PRO-1000. Remember pigment based ink is also great for black and white, due to the sheer number of black and black-related inks used.

So, to sum up, if you’re looking for a less expensive, more popular, great for glossy paper printer that offers a very wide color gamut, go with one that uses dye based inks. If you’re looking for a printer that offers extremely archivable prints that may last more than 200 years before fading (on the right paper), that’s great for fine art photography and that’s perfect for black and white printing, go with one that uses pigment based inks. After all, you’re putting lots of time and energy into your photography, so you should expect the best results with your prints.

Well, I hope I offered something of value in this post. Color printing is a huge topic, so if you’d like to add anything or ask any questions, please do so below or in the photography forum. Thanks for reading!

 

[Cameron]

This post has been merged into this thread because it asks about this very topic.

What’s the Best Ink to Print Photos With?​

I’ve been hearing a lot about the different types of ink that people use to print their photos with and I’m wondering if someone can cut through all the technical jargon for me and explain things in a simple way. I know that one type is good for one use and the other type is good for another use, but I’m not sure which would be good for my own purposes. I like to shoot lots of nature and urban photography and anything else that comes my way. I print in color most of the time and I just want my prints to look as good as possible. I also don’t want to spend too much money on ink or a printer. Thanks.

 

[15Katey]

This post has been merged into this thread because it asks about this very topic.

What’s the Best Ink to Print Photos With?​

I’ve been hearing a lot about the different types of ink that people use to print their photos with and I’m wondering if someone can cut through all the technical jargon for me and explain things in a simple way. I know that one type is good for one use and the other type is good for another use, but I’m not sure which would be good for my own purposes. I like to shoot lots of nature and urban photography and anything else that comes my way. I print in color most of the time and I just want my prints to look as good as possible. I also don’t want to spend too much money on ink or a printer. Thanks.

You can check out the post (above) that has to do with the differences between dye and pigment inks. It’s pretty thorough. Basically, from what you’re saying, you should probably go ahead with using a dye based ink. I have always gotten the impression that pigment based ink is reserved for those professionals who truly know what they’re doing and know what they want. For the rest of us, dye based ink is just fine.

With dye based ink, you’ll get more vibrant and robust colors in your print outs. Also, the printers that use this type of ink cost a lot less than their counterparts and they’re also much more popular. While there are only a handful of realistic pigment based ink printers that you or I would consider purchasing, there are many more dye based ink printers. They’re also not very expensive. Canon and Epson offer many of them. Just don’t get yourself in the battle of which is better. You’ll never get out of it. It’s like the Ford vs. Chevy thing when it comes to pickup trucks.

The only downside with using dye based inks is that the dye fades faster than the pigment does. So in 20 years, you may see some lightening of your photos while if you printed them with pigment ink, you’d never see any fading. Things are getting better though because I think the big companies are putting sunscreen in their dye now so fading is much less prevalent.

The downside with pigment based ink is that it’s not as robust or colorful as dye, but again, you’ll not see any fading in your lifetime. It’s like what the professional print shops use.

Keep your print outs out of the sun and use dye like the rest of us do. You’ll have great looking shots and you’ll be happy with the results.

 

[15Katey]

What’s the Best Ink Jet Printer to Use For Black & White Photography?​

Up until about 10 years ago, color printers didn’t exactly print black and white images all too well. There were a few inherent issues with the technology printer manufacturers used that caused the black ink on the paper to portray tints and hues and all sorts of things we as photographers don’t want to see. Even today, not all ink jet printers print black and whites exceptionally well. It’s important to read the specs on any printer type to make sure you’re buying what will serve you best.

While I can’t offer you the “best” brand or printer model to purchase because these things are always changing, what I can do is offer you some information that will help you discern what’s best at your moment of purchase. Simply put, I’ll tell you what to look for.

Okay, so what are some of the problems you might come across when you buy a printer that’s not set up for true black and white prints? Well, grays may not appear to be true gray. Under different types of lighting, the black ink that’s put on the paper can look green. I’m sure you’ve seen this type of thing out there. I sure have. So what you want to check for when purchasing a color ink jet printer is whether or not it can handle true neutral gray. Not an offshoot of gray, such as a strange shade of green. Read all the reviews for the printer and check the specs.

It really all depends on what types of black ink the printer uses for these types of prints. Some of the better models come with three different blacks that can handle the neutral colors as I mentioned above. Others don’t. The ones that don’t, have a tendency to change colors as you hold your print under different types of lighting and at different angles. As I mentioned, the black can appear green under certain types of light and it can even appear bronze under certain circumstances.

There’s a thing out there called gloss differential. This is when you view a printed image at a certain angle and the printed areas of the paper appear to be glossier than the paper itself. This is something to avoid. You want consistency with your prints from any angle, for both texture and color.

As I said above, these things are always changing, so be sure to read reviews on any printer you’re interested in. Serious reviewers should mention all this.