Dye-based and Pigmented Inks

Dye-Based Inks

Inks that are dye-based use colorants that are soluble, resulting in a wide range of rich and vivid colours. The dye fully dissolves into the solution, much like how salt does in water, to generate the desired colour.

The use of soluble dyes facilitates easy mixing and blending of colours.

Dye-based inks have an excellent fluidity, making them an ideal choice for a variety of writing tools such as fountain pens as well as dip pens, and brushes. However, the longevity of dye-based inks might not match up to other inks as they are susceptible to fading over time.

Pigmented Ink

Inks that are pigmented carry minuscule particles of pigment, suspended in a liquid medium such as water. These particles do not dissolve and are like tiny grains of sand in water.

The concentration of these pigments enhances the ink's opacity, resulting in a more solid coverage on the surface. Pigmented inks are typically denser and opaquer compared to their dye-based counterparts.

Pigmented Inks are known for their permanence and lightfastness. They perform well on various surfaces, including paper and some non-porous materials.

With pigmented inks, the tiny pigment particles fall and cling to the paper’s surface. This means there’s far less likelihood the ink will bleed and smudge than with waterier dye-based inks.