Difference between pigment ink and dye ink for inkjet transfer paper

Inkjet heat transfer paper is becoming more and more popular in the clothing customization market. The main reason is that the inkjet printer is relatively cheaper, and it is more suitable for customizing simple clothing in personal homes. On the other hand, The  dye inks and pigment inks used for inkjet heat transfer paper are also relatively common. The two inks can not only be used for thermal transfer, but also very commonly used in photo and image printing.

For users of thermal transfer paper, there is a confusion that whether to choose dye ink or pigment ink when using inkjet heat transfer paper. In this article, we will introduce the two inks from multiple angles, and give you some suggestions for  Inkjet transfer paper.

1. Ink structure definition

The dye colorant in the dye ink is completely dissolved in the ink in a single molecule, and the colorant particles are small and easy to dissolve in water or other chemical solvents. This structure makes the dye ink less prone to clogging the nozzle. Even if it is clogged, it is relatively simple to unblock the nozzle.

The colorant of the pigment ink is a water-insoluble pigment, which is suspended in water by means of a dispersant, so it is an opaque liquid. That is to say, the solid pigment is ground into very fine particles and dissolved in a special water solvent.

2. Waterproof

The dye colorant of the dye ink has a large number of hydrophilic particles, which is easy to dissolve. Once the printed manuscript encounters water, the colorant that was originally fixed on the medium will dissolve again, and spread to the surrounding with the flow of water, causing serious blooming. This is the main reason for the poor waterproof performance of dye inks.

However, the pigment is no longer dispersed in the water for the dispersant is absorbed by the paper, and will remain on the surface of the paper to form a stacked layer, which has strong hiding power and lower requirements for the paper, so it can achieve high-density and high-sharpness printing.

pigment ink for shirts

3. Color persistence

The coloring agent of the dye ink is directly exposed to the air. Under the action of light and ozone, the chemical chain of the dye coloring agent may break, causing the coloring agent to change color, causing the printed manuscript to fade, thereby affecting its preservation.

When the larger pigment aggregates of pigment inks are exposed to ultraviolet rays and ozone, only the surface layer is destroyed, and the colorant in the inner layer still maintains its color characteristics.Therefore, it has high light fastness and weather fastness.

4.Color vividness

The dye ink penetrates into the medium to form color, so the color of the printing is more vivid, and the color reproduction of the image is higher.

The pigments of pigment ink are granular and cannot fully exhibit the characteristic of selective absorption of visible light waves, so that the vividness of the color is lost, and the color will be darker than that of dye ink.

dye ink for shirts

5. Cost

The cost of dye ink is relatively lower than that of pigment ink.

Regarding the use of inkjet heat transfer paper, especially the five points above have compared the two types of inks on the basis of the principle structure. When we choose thermal transfer paper, we can distinguish it according to the application characteristics of the thermal transfer paper. If it is only used for gifts, festivals, or event clothing customization, the happiness or meaning of customization is more pursued. If you are short-term use,you can choose dye inks, which are bright in color and have a certain degree of water resistance and light resistance compared to pigment inks; If it is a professional production or requires longer storage, it is recommended to use pigment inks.

Vision inkjet heat transfer paper has very good ink compatibility.It can be used not only in dye inks but also in pigment inks. If you want to know more about thermal transfer paper or DTF ink, please view our website or social account, we will continue to update more content and new solutions about thermal transfer clothing customization.

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