Digital BW, The Print

Most of this quote is useful, but the bit about pigments being more  
vibrant is not. Dyes have an upperhand in vibrancy, but at the risk of  
fading for the same reasons. Recent micropigments are making inroads  
on vibrancy, but typically with some loss in longevity in the bargain,  
as they become more dye-like.

C. D. Tobie
Global Product Technology Mngr.
Digital Imaging & Home Theater
Datacolor.com
CDTobie@...

On Feb 21, 2009, at 6:46 PM, Andrew Sharpe <asharpe@...>  
wrote:

> Hi folks,
>
> Even though the level of expertise of the contributors to this list is
> very high, there may be others who, like myself, are just getting
> started. I recently received an explanation of pigment vs. dye from a
> company that sells ink, including WJ1082 (aka Eboni K). The  
> explanation
> helped me to understand more clearly; perhaps it will help others. I
> asked him for his permission to post it here. I have no affiliation  
> with
> Mr. Lewis, except as a potential customer.
>
> Andrew
>
>
> BEGIN QUOTE
>
> The dye in the dye-based ink dissolves in water like sugar does
> in water -- completely.  Pigment does not dissolve completely. It
> is more like a flour and water mixture.  Because of this,
> dye-based inks flow better and have been the standard in inkjet
> printers. But the dye will re-dissolve and the ink will flow
> across the paper if drops of water hit the paper.
>
> Pigmented ink particles tend to settle into the tiny fibers that
> make up the paper.  As the ink dries, the pigment particles get
> stuck in the fibers. Thus, the pigmented inks are more water
> resistant than the dye-based inks. Only about 5 to 10 percent of
> the ink will re-flow if the paper is hit by water.
>
> The molecules in dye-based inks are spread out. You might think
> of dye-based ink on paper as similar to a beach covered with
> sand. Because of this, dye-based ink tends to fade quicker, since
> all of the molecules are exposed to the chemical and
> sunlight-caused reactions that fade the ink. You may notice
> fading of dye-based inks exposed to direct sunlight commonly in 6
> to 12 months.
>
> Pigment particles are similar to large pebbles on a beach. It is
> much more difficult for sunlight and chemicals to react with all
> of the pigment molecules, since most of them are hidden inside
> the "pebbles". Pigmented inks will usually last for many years
> before fading becomes noticeable.
>
> It is possible to get more "color" into pigments than into dyes.
> Therefore, pigmented colors tend to be more vibrant than
> dye-based colors. And pigmented black inks tend to be slightly
> darker than dye-based inks.
>
> Sincerely, Gordon Lewis
> The Printer Filling Station
> www.PrinterFillingStation.com
> 1403 Shiloh Oak Drive
> Loganville, Georgia 30052
> Office 1-800-404-4923
>
> END QUOTE
>
>
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