Research Design for print - Ink types

INK TYPES 

Different types of printers and print jobs require different types of ink. As a result, there are several types of printer ink available, giving consumers a wide variety of choices based on what kind of printer they own and what they are planning to print with it. In addition, different companies make ink and ink cartridges, providing less expensive alternatives than name brands, though of course, the printer manufacturing companies recommend using name brand cartridges for the best results.

Ink cartridges are used only in inkjet printers — laser printers use toner, a powdery substance that is fused to the paper during the printing process. Cartridges come in different sizes and configurations, all designed to fit different models of printers. Many companies produce ink cartridges, including recycled, refilled cartridges or cartridges designed to work with brand name printers but at a lower cost. It is important for consumers to purchase the right kind of ink and the right size of cartridge for a particular printer, because printers have different sizes of apertures in which the ink cartridges must fit.

The majority of inkjet printers use liquid ink of some kind, whether it is pigment-based or dye-based. Pigment-based inks bond to the paper somewhat better than dye-based inks, reducing the likelihood that ink will bleed through the paper. Dye-based printer ink provides brighter colors in a wider range, but bleed-through is more common. Waterproof ink also is a popular option, because most liquid inks will bleed if the final product becomes wet.

DIFFERENT TYPES :- 

SOLVENT INKS

Solvent inks are generally pigment inks. They contain pigments rather than dyes, but unlike the Aqueous version where the carrier is water - in solvent inks it's volotile organic compounds (VOCs) - solvent.The chief advantage of solvent inks is that they are comparatively inexpensive and enable printing on flexible, uncoated vinyl substrates, which are used to produce vehicle graphics, billboards, banners and adhesive decals.

UV CURED INKS

UV-curable inks: After printing, the ink is cured by exposure to strong UV-light. The advantage of UV-curable inks is that they "dry" as soon as they are cured, they can be applied to a wide range of uncoated substrates, and they produce a very robust image. Disadvantages are that they are expensive, require expensive curing modules in the printer, and the cured ink has a significant volume and so gives a slight relief on the surface. 

AQUEOUS INKS

Aqueous refers to the liquid that carries the colourant. Water. Water based inks come in two varieties, dye and pigment, often referred to, confusingly, as Dye and UV.

Dye inks are best though of as cordials - the colour is dissolved in the water - and like spilt cordial the ink soaks in and stains the page as the water evaporates. The colourant size in dye inks is tiny, allowing a very small dot size which allows for detailed images with smooth tones.

SOLID INK

Another type of printer uses “solid ink,” particles of pigment imbedded in wax similar to a crayon.

SCREEN PRINTING INK

poster ink (air dry)

air dry textile

plastisol textile - Plastisol inks (both solvent and water based) are used in textile screen printing.

LIQUID INK

Inkjet printers use liquid ink

TONER

Laser and LED printers use a dry form of ink called toner, made up of tiny particles of pigment.

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