From the course: Inkjet Printing for Photographers

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Understanding ink types: Dye vs. pigment

Understanding ink types: Dye vs. pigment - Photoshop Tutorial

From the course: Inkjet Printing for Photographers

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Understanding ink types: Dye vs. pigment

Ben: So the main difference between a photo printer like this and the office-type printer that you've got at home is going to be the type of ink that's in it. Ink comes in two broad categories. There are pigment inks and there are dye inks. Most printers that you find at the computer store or the office supply store are going to be dye-based printers. And they're going to be less expensive than pigment printers, but they are not going to be necessarily always as good as a pigment-based photo printer. Dyes have the advantage of a wider color gamut, meaning they can print a broader range of colors. They are also often better for printing on glossy paper. Pigment-based printers have one really big advantage over most dye-based printers, which is archivability. I don't know if you've ever printed a page on your printer at home and left it sitting in the sun for a couple of days; you probably notice that it almost immediately fades. They are really not light fast. They will--they will fade…

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