If the photo is left at home for half a year, it will fade?
Little friends who usually like to print photos with color jet printers must have a deep understanding of this. Especially for photos that have been exposed to the air for a long time, the color loss will be more obvious, while the photos stored in the album can remain vivid for a long time. Why?
In fact, this is due to the nature of inkjet printer ink, there are two types of common inkjet printer ink, namely dye ink and pigment ink.
Dye ink:
Composed of specific molecules, the colorant of the dye ink dissolves in water. At the same time, due to the simple production process of dye ink and low cost, some compatible consumables manufacturers will use black dye ink.
Pigment inks:
Compared with dye inks, the colorant of pigment ink is insoluble in water or pigment, and can be suspended in water with the help of dispersant, which is an opaque liquid. Pigment inks are more durable, waterproof, fade-resistant, and last longer.
The difference between the two
1) Waterproof performance
In fact, as mentioned above, dye ink is easily soluble in water and other chemical reagents, so it is not easy to block the printer nozzle, and the printing is relatively smooth. However, the waterproof performance is general, and it is easy to melt after being wetted in water. Most of the pigment inks use special polymer binders, so that the pigments have strong adhesion, and the print head is stable and not blocked, and when the ink is dry, a protective film will be formed on the surface of the pigment, playing an effective waterproof role.
2) Anti-fade performance
Since the colorant of the dye ink is directly exposed to the air, under the action of light and oxygen, the chemical chain of the colorant may break, resulting in discoloration. Manuscripts printed over a long period of time will fade, which is not conducive to long-term preservation. The colorant of pigment ink is a highly crushed mineral with high stability, and the outer layer of the colorant is wrapped with a resin layer to avoid contact with air, reducing the possibility of chemical chain breakage, so it is not easy to produce fading phenomenon.
How to choose?
1) In terms of waterproofing and fade resistance, pigment ink has more advantages, but in bright colors and smooth printing, dye ink is better and cheaper.
2) In addition, if the file needs to be stored for a long time, pigment ink is the most suitable, if it is used once, dye ink with low cost and good color is a good choice.
Brief summary:
Generally speaking, most of the black ink used in consumer printers is pigment ink, the printed content is waterproof, and can be stored for a long time, color ink uses dye ink, printing photos is more economical.
In order to ensure the long-term preservation of documents, PPTs, etc., the ink used in some office inkjet printers is generally pigment ink.
Therefore, everyone should know why the photo will fade after half a year at home, the reason is on the ink.