Friday 7 June 2013

The Different Components Of Modern Ink

By Keren Kipfer


We all use ink and many of us use it every day, but we rarely stop and think about the ingredients in our ink. There are actually several different kinds of inks, from those used for standard printing to inks used for fabric dyes and inks created to print on unusual surfaces such as glass or foil. Here are a few facts about ink that you probably did not know.

Even when you use the same type of ink, every brand is just a little bit different from another one. However, you typically will find that there are three components found in the majority of all inks, one of which is the colorant. This comes from one of two sources, either a pigment or a dye. The advantages of dyes include the immense range of vivid colors and the cost, which is typically quite a bit lower. On the flip side, dye inks do tend to bleed and run and take longer to dry. They also fade more quickly than pigment-based colorants.

Pigments are costlier and have fewer color options, but they do dry very quickly, are less water soluble and last longer. Pigment inks are often favored by those printing on a glossy surface and by photographers who work with black and white imagery. These days, dye inks dry faster and last longer than they did in the past, so they are used more frequently, especially when you want deep and rich colors.

The second component of ink is known as the vehicle or the binder. This important component is what forces ink to affix to a surface, such as your piece of paper or perhaps a bag of potato chips or an article of clothing. In addition, the vehicle also is essential in helping the ink flow smoothly from the cartridge or ink source onto the surface or substrate. These binders are made of resin, and there are many varieties of resin used for different types of ink.

While there are many different additives placed in ink, all of these additives together are grouped as a third component of ink. They are added because the colorant and vehicles can do all the necessary work, and these additives are the components that improve the flow of the ink and the lubrication as well as improving the drying time of the ink. Waxes, either wet or dry, will keep inks from marring. Different types of oil also are added, including linseed oil, flax seed oil and soybean oil, as well as oils based from petroleum. To improve the oxidation and the drying times, substances such as manganese and also cobalt are added.

Ink comes in several different forms, including liquid form, dry or as a paste. Make-up fluids are then added before the inks are used in a printer. If you own an industrial coder, such as a Domino coder, Altima coder or perhaps a VideoJet id printer, you can purchase low-cost, high-quality inks from a product id company that specializes in selling inks, parts and services for those businesses that use id coders.




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