Often, choosing the best ink cartridges may be a bit difficult. Sure, there’s an assurance of a better quality when either a Pigment or a Dye-based Ink cartridge is used. So, in this article, we would discuss which is the better quality pigment ink printer i.e., the Pigment ink cartridges or the Dye-Based Ink Cartridges. The Pigment ink comes with a very fine powder of quality solid colorant particles enclosed in a liquid container. While the Dye-based inks are quality ink type consisting of colorant fully suspended and dissolved in liquid. Therefore, let’s look at the better quality ink printer.
Pigment vs. Dye-Based Ink Cartridges
You will get unique prices for each ink cartridges you purchase and might spend much if you’re consuming them a lot. Each type of ink cartridges has nice features but with some few drawbacks. The dye-based ink cartridges were used for a long time until the invention of a new ink system which was the Pigment ink cartridges.
The Pigment is made of very fine solid particles while the dye-based ink is made up of colorant fully dissolve in water. That is dye-based ink cartridges are 90 percent water, this also affects the nature of the print and physical style. The dye-based ink tends to fade away faster whenever it is used, while the pigment ink lasts for a long time. The dye-based ink cartridges come with a wider range colors for quality printing while the pigment ink cartridges come with few colors.
White and black photographers prefer to use pigmented inks to dye-based inks. The pigment inks are mostly marketed to experienced users while the dye-based ink is marketed towards enthusiasts. But some pro printers are still satisfied with dye-based prints because of the quality it reveals in a full and side by side prints compared to pigment inks.
Dye-based inks are less resistant to water; they tend to flow when there are in contact with water while the pigment ink is more resistant to water. They don’t flow or get affected when they’re in contact with water which makes it very unique to pro users. The pigment ink cartridges have good stability of color in the print, longevity of the print, and resistant to natural elements compared to dye-based inks.
The pigment ink can resist fading for up to 200 years while the dye-based ink can only go for up to 30 years. The dye-based ink cartridges are less expensive compared to the pigment ink cartridges. The dye-based ink provides adequate color saturation, color range, brightness, and improved density compared to pigment ink cartridges.
Conclusion
Improvements on both inks have been done since their inception but your choice in choosing the better quality pigment ink printer depends on these factors. The amount you are willing to pay for each ink cartridges and the kind of things you want to print. If you want a unique print, longevity, color stability, avoid smudging, printing on glossy paper, and resistant to natural elements, the pigment ink cartridges are the best option for you. While if you’re concerned with picture quality and cost you can choose the dye-based ink cartridges.
