Our clients often ask us:

• What is the difference between pigment and water-based inks?
• How do you know what kind of ink you have?
• Is it true that water-soluble ink washes off with water, but pigment ink does not?

We collected the most popular questions and decided to answer them and post them on our website. We hope that this article will be useful to you! If after reading you still have questions, you can always ask them in any way convenient for you:

1. How to distinguish water-based ink from pigment ink?

We won’t go deep into the weeds and describe the differences in the chemical composition of pigment and water-based inks, let’s just say that pigment inks have larger particles compared to water-soluble ones. As a result, water-soluble ones can be poured instead of pigment, but pigment cannot be poured instead of water-soluble ones, because larger particles will simply clog the print head of your printer.

So, how to understand what kind of ink you have, pigment or water-based, and also what printer they are intended for?

A) The simplest thing is according to the markings on the bottle.

For example, in Korean InkTec ink, the marking can be found on the label under the inscription Reorder#.

The letters in the marking indicate the manufacturer of the printing device:

• B-Brother
• C - Canon
• E - Epson
• H–HP
• L-Lexmark

The number after the letter is the actual series of ink. It is the series that indicates the compatibility of the ink with your cartridges and print head, and therefore is a rather important parameter when choosing ink. (See Figure 1 and 2)

Rice. 1 – marking of water-soluble ink for Epson printers

Rice. 2 – pigment ink marking for Epson printers

Manufacturers also usually indicate on bottles with pigment inks “ Pigment"(see Fig. 3)

Rice. 3 – pigment ink for Epson printers
B) By the appearance of the ink.
But it is not always possible to look at the markings, because... the empty jar was disposed of as unnecessary, but somehow no thought was given to the labeling. In this case, you can determine only pigment ink or water-based ink by the color of the ink.
The difference is most visible in the yellow color and we recommend determining the type of ink based on it.
Water-soluble yellow is darker and more like orange-brown (see Fig. 4 - top), in contrast to pigment yellow, which has a rich lemon-yellow tint. (see Fig. 4 - below)
Also, due to different chemical compositions, ink has different fluidity, which is also a characteristic feature when determining the type of ink. Pigment ink is thicker and, after shaking the containers, flows from the walls of the jars (donor containers or cartridges) in uneven streams, leaving behind many drops and streaks on the walls. Water-soluble ink flows from the walls in a single stream, leaving behind almost perfectly clean walls. (see Fig.4)

Rice. 4 – difference in color between water-soluble and pigment inks

B) Imprint on paper
In addition to the difference in the color of the original (i.e. in the can), pigment and water-based inks differ in color rendering on paper. When printed on regular office paper, water-soluble inks produce duller colors than pigment inks, which produce brighter colors.

D) resistance to burnout
In addition to the above parameters, pigment and water-based inks also have different resistance to fading, with the pigment noticeably outperforming water-soluble inks. However, if you place a print made with water-soluble ink under glass or a file. It’s even better to laminate, the quality of the print will remain bright and juicy several times longer.
We are currently testing the ink for fading. The first test results will be available in September 2015.

2. Which ink should I choose, pigment or water-based?
A) selection by printer model
The main factors that influence the choice of ink are the technical characteristics of the printer. Namely the so-called “minimum drop size”, as well as the type of original ink. Information about the technical characteristics and type of ink used can be found on the official websites of the manufacturers.

B) according to the consumable on which they print

• When printing on glossy surfaces, you must choose water-soluble ink. Because they leave a brighter and more saturated imprint on glossy surfaces. (Fig.5 bottom right)
• Pigment ink is not absorbed into gloss and lays down like a film, and will also be erased from the surface under any mechanical influence. (Figure 5, Top right)
• But when printing with water-soluble ink on matte surfaces, the image will be more faded. (Fig. 5. Bottom left)
• However, when using pigment inks, good photos will be obtained when printed on matte paper. (Fig. 5 top left)

And remember, when switching from pigment ink to water-based and vice versa, it is necessary to clean the print head of the previous ink, and we also recommend completely replacing the CISS or SPD! Otherwise, you risk damaging your printing device.

We tried to explain as clearly as possible.

Go in the comments to ask questions and share your experiences!

Pigmented and water soluble. Ink for inkjet printers.

Most often, when choosing a device for printing at home, preference is given to inkjet printers or MFPs with inkjet printing. These devices use special ink, which, when mixed, allows you to create fairly high-quality prints. It is clear that in many respects not only the quality of printing, but also the durability of the printer depends on the quality of the ink.

Pigment and water-soluble inks

The first inks used for inkjet printing were water-soluble. They are a dye dissolved in a liquid. The advantage of this ink is its low cost, but the prints obtained with its help do not differ in quality. It often happens that the picture “blurs”, this is especially noticeable when using cheap paper. In addition, copies are extremely short-lived and fade quickly.

Trying to meet the growing needs for inexpensive but high-quality printing, HP specialists have created a fundamentally new type of ink for inkjet printing, the so-called pigment ink. Their main difference is a special dye. These are synthetic pigments. They do not dissolve in liquid, like a regular dye, but are contained in it in a suspended state.

Unlike conventional ink, in which the paint along with the liquid is absorbed into the paper, the pigment settles on its surface, sticks to it, and, moreover, exactly in the place where the colored dot is supposed to be.

The composition of the ink is selected in such a way that the particle that sticks to the paper is securely attached to it. This ensures that the print will remain contrasting for a long time, and the color will be bright and rich. And given the fact that the size of one pigment is negligible, it does not exceed 0.15 microns, the quality of inkjet printing increases many times over. It is safe to say that inkjet printing using pigment inks is close to the sharpness and contrast of laser printers.

An additional plus is that printing with this type of ink is possible on paper of any quality. The print will look great both on office paper and on a cheap envelope.

The development of a new type of ink was complicated by the need to stabilize the suspension. It was necessary to prevent the pigment particles from “sticking” together and not settling to the bottom of the cartridges. These phenomena are known as adsorption and sedimentation. In order to achieve a good result, chemical stabilizers were introduced into the ink composition.

The range of pigment inks available for sale is very wide. They even produce inks that have water-resistant properties, which regular water-soluble inks certainly cannot have.

Of course, the production process of pigment ink is much more complicated than the production of conventional inks; their price is higher, but the quality is noticeably higher. To reduce the price, some manufacturers offer a mixed option. These are ordinary water-soluble inks into which a certain percentage of pigments is introduced. The ink is cheaper, but does not have all the properties that are present in real pigment inks. They are not resistant to water, and prints fade quickly.

But not everything is so rosy; pigment inks also have disadvantages.

1. It is not advisable to use them for printing documents of an official nature. Since the pigment only sticks to the surface of the paper, it can be scraped off with any sharp object.

2. For the same reason, printing on film is not possible. Particles practically do not stick to its flat, smooth surface.

3. Using this ink will have a negative impact on the life of the print heads. This is caused by the abrasive properties of suspended particles.

A sample of water-based ink printing.

Sample of printing with pigment ink.

Sample of printing with water-based and pigment inks on photo paper. On the left are water ones, and on the right are pigment ones.

Correct - a guarantee of long-term operation of the cartridge

Many of those who use inkjet printers have encountered problems. It happens that a device recently refilled with expensive ink refuses to work. The printer does not print or stops after printing several sheets. The problem can only be solved by replacing the cartridge. Most often, ink manufacturers are blamed for this due to poor product quality, but the reason may not be their fault.

Many people may not know this, but the cartridges used in devices from most leading manufacturers were not initially designed for refilling. Manufacturers deliberately reduce the price of the printer, hoping to make money by selling original cartridges.

This is why cartridges are very sensitive to improper handling. They break easily, so when refilling an inkjet cartridge, you need to be extremely careful. This is especially true when refilling with a syringe. This procedure is very important; under no circumstances should you rush. Do not press too hard on the syringe plunger. The pressure should be minimal.

Cleaning should also not be neglected. This step can be skipped only if the cartridge was refilled with regular ink, and will also be refilled with regular ink.

Just like ink, high demands are also placed on cleaning fluid. There are many manufacturers on the market, and it is often difficult to choose the best among them. Here it is worth conducting an experiment, drop ink on the glass, let it dry and place the glass in the cleaning liquid. A good liquid will dissolve the ink and color itself, a bad liquid will peel off the ink and they will float in flakes.

We can sum it up. Using good ink will certainly please you with high-quality prints, but only if no serious mistakes were made at the refilling stage. Carelessness in relation to the refilled cartridge may lead to the need to purchase a new one.

How to visually distinguish photo ink (water-soluble) from pigment ink?

Black HP 123 and 652 belong to the category of cartridges with a built-in print head, which are used in budget printers DeskJet 2130, 2630, 3639, Ink Advantage 3635, 4535, 2135, 1115, 3775, 3785, 3835, 5075, 4675, 5275, 87 s two inkwells. As a rule, cartridges with the same number use a specific type of ink and do not change after that, but with 123 and 652 everything is not so simple.

What is the problem?

There are 2 fundamentally different types of inks: pigment and water-based. To describe briefly, water-based ones are best used for photographs; they spread if water is dropped on them, while pigment-based ones are more stable and are great for texts and various documentation.

After 123 and 652 cartridges went on sale, the manufacturer’s website indicated that they contained water-based ink, but in 2017 everything changed and, according to information from the official website, the black cartridge is filled with pigment ink, and the color cartridge is filled with water-based ink. It is not entirely clear whether there was an error in the description, or whether the type of ink really suddenly changed.

If the aqueous black actually became pigment at some point, then there is a possibility that old batches of 123 and 652 cartridges are still on sale and refilled with a different type of ink. And since this is not indicated on the packaging in any way, it will not be possible to find out in advance what kind of ink needs to be refilled.

What to do?

The best way to use compatible ink in dual-cartridge printers is to refill originals manually. It turns out that you will have to deal with branded HP ink tanks in any case.

To find out what type of ink is used in a black cartridge, simply print a black and white image with the settings for text (it is important not to turn off the settings for photo printing so that the black color is not achieved by mixing colored aqueous inks). After this, just drop water on the painted area: pigment ink will not wash out, but water-based ink will begin to smear (that’s why they are called water-soluble).

IMPORTANT! If you still haven’t been able to determine what type of ink is in the cartridge or you’ve simply run out of ink and the printer refuses to print, it’s better to opt for aqueous black. This is safer for the print head of the cartridge.

Having determined the type of ink in the black cartridge, you can select the appropriate ink set:

• Pushkink PIH94.100×4 - a budget set of Russian inks with water-based black. It is convenient for its versatility, because Pushkinki makes water-based ink so that it can also be used in pigment cartridges. In our opinion, the print quality is not the highest, so using them for printing photos is not very profitable.
• InkTec H7064-100M-4 - set of Korean ink with water-based black. Since its release in mid-2015, the DesignJet 2130 has been sold as compatible and has had no user complaints. The use of water-based ink in a pigment cartridge is acceptable in this case (but only for 123 and 652, since each case is individual and we do not recommend experimenting!).
• InkTec H7064-100M-4.BP is a set of Korean ink with pigment black, which went on sale as soon as it became known about the change in the type of dye in HP cartridges. If you are sure that you have a new pigment ink cartridge, we recommend choosing this one.
• OCP BKP 225, C/M/Y 163 - relatively expensive German ink with pigment black.

Depending on the type of the latter, hp printer ink is divided into two main types:

Water-soluble - made from an organic dye that dissolves in water.

Pigment - based on pigment dyes that are insoluble in water and form a suspension.

Often, users do not know which ink for hp is better, and cannot make a choice even on https://www.vseprintera.ru/ink-for-printer-hp/, where consumables are presented in a wide variety. To make the task easier, you should know the features of the first and second options.

Water based dyes

Such liquids have several important advantages:

Reproduce a bright, rich, colorful image;

Excellent absorption into paper;

Dry quickly (the print does not get dirty);

Allows you to use any photo paper (matte, gloss, super gloss) and art paper;

They have a completely homogeneous consistency and easily penetrate the print head nozzles without clogging it.

The disadvantage of inks is that they bleed on regular paper, especially if the sheet is damp or water gets on it. Consequently, it is not always possible to print fine details (lines, font, symbols, etc.) with high quality. In addition, prints fade quickly in the sun, so they need additional protection.

Pigment dyes

Pigment is colored solid particles of a very small (less than 0.1 micron) size, due to which they easily pass through the head nozzles. HP pigment inks offer very high quality printing comparable to laser. Their main advantages:

Water resistance (prints, even those made on plain paper, do not spread when exposed to moisture);

The widest range of color shades, more realistic color rendering, accuracy of small fragments and lines;

UV resistance;

The ability to firmly adhere to a matte surface.

The disadvantages include the relatively high cost. Also, if you're looking to buy pigment-based hp printer ink for printing on glossy media, don't take the risk. The pigment does not adhere well to this coating and begins to crumble.

Before switching from pigment inks to water-soluble ones, you must thoroughly rinse the head and ink tanks of the CISS. When working with pigmented liquids, you should take special care of the equipment.

Hewlett-Packard devices can use both types of inks: as a rule, water-soluble for printing color material, pigment for black-and-white documents. But mixing them is not recommended. In general, ink for refilling HP cartridges is selected based on the tasks that need to be performed.

Let's sum it up

As practice shows, water-soluble ink for hp cartridges is excellent for photo printing (even professional) and for home use. If you need to create high-quality matte photographs, as well as tables, diagrams, drawings and other products for which accuracy and detail are important, use pigment paints.

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Water-based and pigment inks have different chemical compositions, so mixing them can cause the ink to coagulate, create sediment, and clog the print head nozzles. To prevent this from happening, do not fill water ink into the cartridge that contained pigment ink, and vice versa. If you don't know what type of ink you have, try a series of simple experiments that will allow you to easily identify your ink type.

So let's get started.

Conduct a series of simple experiments

Experiment No. 1

Drop some inkjet printer ink onto a piece of paper and look closely at the drops. Water-based ink has a transparent structure and rich color. Pigment ink by its nature is an opaque suspension, microparticles of which do not transmit sunlight. Such inks are darker in appearance than water-based inks.

Experiment No. 2

Smear a drop of inkjet ink onto the paper and observe how quickly the print dries, then take a closer look at its surface. Water-based ink takes a long time to dry and forms a smooth film after drying. Pigment ink dries very quickly and produces a rough, crystalline surface.

Water-based and pigment inks dry differently

Experiment No. 3

Drop inkjet printer ink into a glass cup filled with water. Pigment ink, when dissolved, will give a gray tint, and water-based ink will give a dirty purple tint.

Experiment No. 4

Dilute a drop of ink in 10 ml of water, add 5 drops of bleach to the resulting mixture and carefully watch the reaction: a mixture of aqueous ink will instantly become discolored, and a mixture of pigment ink will form a sediment or will not react at all to the presence of bleach.

Add bleach to a drop of ink and watch the reaction

Experiment No. 5

Print the text, wait until the print is completely dry and place it under running cold water. Water-based inks will bleed instantly, but pigment inks will not.

Experiment No. 6

Place a sheet of printed text or image in water for several hours. If in a few hours the print is completely washed off from ink, then you are dealing with water-based ink, if there are traces of ink left on the print, then it is pigment or water-based quick-drying ink.

Place the sheet of printed text in water for several hours

Experiment No. 7

If, as a result of the previous experiment, the print did not spread, then it was made using pigment or quick-drying water-based ink. To determine what type of inkjet ink you are dealing with, add ammonia, household (not baking) soda or silicate glue to the water in which the print “floats”. If the print runs, it means you have quick-drying water-based ink; if it doesn’t, it means it’s pigment ink.