ultrachrome inks

Epson's Ultrachrome inks are based on pigment technology. Pigment inks are complex sets of multi molecules stacked together. The particles are much larger than their single set dye ink molecule counter-parts, and in general more archival in nature.

In contrast, nearly all desktop ink printers use dye technology. Why ? Really two reasons. First they are cheaper to manufacture since the small, simple dye molecules are easily dissolved in water. Second, they show a great gamut of saturated colors since the small molecules do not scatter or trap much light. The problem with dye based inks is that they fade quickly, they do not tolarate humidity changes, and they are prone to color shifts caused by chemicals such as ozone.

Pigment inks such the Epson Ultrachrome set, are many times more resistant to light fading, moisture, and environmental chemical reactions, but

they are usually associated with muted, low gamut colors. The faded colors occur when the large particles trap and scatter light within the ink.

Ultrachrome inks use micrencapsulation to coat each pigment particle in a resin media. This helps to evenly disperse the pigment throughout the ink formula and produces a remarkable gamut of colors, which rivals and in some ways exceeds dye based color saturation. Also, by adding a seventh color, light black, Epson inks produce natural greys and smooth transitions in highlight areas, all while providing archival stability to your prints. So what is archival anyway ?

Please click below to see Independant fade test results, using Epson inks and media, conducted by the Wilhelm Institute.

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