The main difference between pigment ink and dye ink is the physical form of the colorant, the color development principle and the resulting performance differences.
Core differences:
Color properties
Pigment Ink: Use solid particles (such as inorganic or organic pigments) to suspend in liquids, with particle sizes usually in nano to microns and need to be kept stable with the help of a dispersant.
Dye Ink: The colorant is a completely dissolved organic dye molecule with a particle size of only 1-2 nanometers, forming a uniform solution.
Color rendering principle
Pigment Ink: The pigment particles are attached to the surface of the medium through a polymeric binder to form a physical stacking layer.
Dye ink: Dye molecules penetrate into the medium and develop colors through chemical bonding.
Performance Features
Waterproofness: Pigment ink is insoluble in water due to its adhesion to the surface, so its waterproof performance is better; dye ink is easily redissolved when exposed to water, causing staining.
Light resistance: The surface layer of the pigment ink is only partially damaged by ultraviolet rays, the inner layer remains stable, and has stronger anti-fading ability.
Color expression: The dye ink has brighter colors and a wider color gamut; pigment ink has lower saturation due to the influence of particle scattered light.
Application Scenarios
Pigment Ink: Suitable for documents that require long-term storage (such as archives, outdoor advertising) or special media (such as glossy paper), commonly found in inkjet printers and exam pens.
Dye ink: Mostly used in scenes with high color requirements such as photo printing and artistic creation, such as home inkjet printers.
Other differences:
Risk of nozzle blockage: The pigment ink particles are larger and easier to block the nozzle; the dye ink is dissolved molecularly, and the risk of blockage is low.
Media dependence: Pigment ink has low requirements for paper (only surface adhesion); dye ink needs to penetrate into specific fiber structures.
In summary, pigment ink is more suitable for occasions where durability is required, while dye ink pays more attention to color expression. In actual choice, we need to weigh the waterproof, light resistance and color brightness.