Ink Jet Paper, Printers, Lysonic Archival Inks,
Digital Photography,
Art Reproduction, Giclees, and much more!

Apogee Photo Magazine

Ink Jet Printing 101: Chapter 1

by Drew Hendrix

Ink jet printing has revolutionized how professionals and consumers alike print photography and art. Gone are the days when image reproduction was the sole domain of film and processing retailers. Art reproductions costing thousands can now be produced for a fraction of the price. Stunning quality, variable print size and a wide variety of media choices are now firmly in the hands of individuals and companies who wish to embrace this technology. The entire process is more segmented than one may first imagine. The printer, ink and paper are all individual systems which, when integrated, make a wonderful, or not so wonderful image. We will briefly explain each system and its relation to the other parts of the puzzle.

Printer Wars

Current popular desktop inkjet printers use drop-on-demand technology to produce images. This means the ink flow is turned on and off precisely during the printing process to create patterns of ink droplets (each the size of a red blood cell) that result in an image. Within drop-on-demand technology, two major sub-technologies dominate the desktop ink jet market.

Thermal ink jet printers use heat to vaporize ink, which is expelled through the print head nozzle as tiny droplets. All of the hardware for this process is usually located on the ink cartridge and is disposable. Hewlett-Packard is one major manufacturer, who uses thermal technology.

Piezoelectric print technology uses mechanical means to move ink drops on to a page. During printing, a miniature crystal vibrates under electrical stimulation. The crystal bows inward and essentially squeezes the ink through the nozzle. This process occurs thousands of times per second. The hardware involved is mounted in the printer and is permanent. Epson is one player, who uses piezoelectric in their printers.

Mostly the manufacturers hotly debate which technology produces the better result. At this point, piezoelectric seems to have the upper hand for a couple of reasons; the precisely controlled crystal vibrations tend to make more spherical droplets from the nozzle that lead to rounder dots on the paper and they have more flexibility in what kinds of ink they can use. Thermal ink jet printers, though, have made tremendous strides in recent months and more improvements are on the way.

Ink Flood

There are two kinds of ink used in desktop inkjet printers: dye based and pigmented. Dye based inks are the most popular and produce the brightest colors. They are a homogenous liquid that change the color of the surface they contact. Pigmented inks (actually a hybrid of pigment and dye) contain tiny flecks of color floating in a base medium. These ink systems are limited in how well they produce color. However, current testing has suggested that pigment systems may offer a longer print life. Today, many archival ink sets are a combination of dye and pigment. Understanding the archival qualities of ink can be confusing, but l), make sure to ask questions about the particular ink you are buying and 2), inquire if the company has any longevity test results to share.

Pigments Vs. Dyes
*Dyes*	Pigments
Color is formed by molecules that are soluble in water	Color is formed by a particle or clumping of dye molecules that are not soluble in water
Molecules dissolve in transport solution	Molecules form a suspension in the transport solution
Ink solution chemically bonds to media fibers	Color molecules physically attach or become embedded in media fibers.
Provides a larger color gamut than pigments	Is more stable when exposed to light than dye-based inks.
Compatible with most ink jet products.	Limited to use in thermal or piezo ink jet printers.
Best results when used with papers that absorb ink.	Best results when used with glossier papers that hold ink on the surface.

Paper or Plastic?

Last and certainly not least is paper. The paper you choose is just as important as the printer and ink for making high quality prints.

Paper can be segmented into four categories: Glossy, Matte, Artistic and Exotic.

Glossy paper looks and sometimes feels like traditional photographic paper that you receive from the photo lab. The three most popular glossy papers available are cast coated, resin coated and gel coated. The cast and resin coated sheets represent the best possible image quality for dye-based inkjet printers. These papers dry instantly and are water-resistant with dye-based systems, like Epson.
Gel-coated paper represents an older technology. The paper is characterized by a rather sticky surface that shows fingerprints easily. Gel-coat sheets can be printed on any type of inkjet system, but they seem to work best with thermal inks like Hewlett-Packard. If used on an Epson printer, gel-coat paper images look beaded and do not dry quickly.
Matte paper is a coated sheet similar in appearance to copy paper. Low quality matte paper can be purchased in large quantities and is good for practice or printing documents. The better matte papers can produce photo quality images, as well as the glossy sheets mentioned above. Again, there are varying degrees in the quality of photo-matte papers, but the technology for coating these sheets is very similar from mill to mill.
Artistic paper is a term that can be applied rather widely. This genre of papers usually looks different from what one is used to seeing in the office or home environment. Different textures, shades and weights are found in the numerous artistic papers available from mills and merchants. Artistic paper can be either coated or uncoated. Uncoated sheets are usually 100% cotton, plain paper stock. During printing, ink drops sink into the paper and spread in all directions. The effect is a diffused, watercolor look. Coated artistic sheets do not look any different on first glance. However, the coating is similar to coatings on glossy and matte papers. Ink droplets land on the sheet and are captured by the coating, trapping the ink drops and keeping them near the surface of the sheet. As a result, images on coated artistic paper are bright and sharp.
Exotic papers are a rare breed. Products like gold and silver foil, translucent paper, plastic film, and T-shirt transfers are among the exotic ranks. Large manufacturers and small dealers alike have chosen to enter the market with a wide variety of products that can make inkjet printing a true adventure.

Looks Nice, But Will It Last?

No discussion on inkjet printing would be complete without the "big" question: "How long will my ink jet prints last?" Depending on the paper, ink and environment, the answer can be from six months to 100 years. To get these numbers, two prominent players, the Rochester Institute of Technology (of Eastman Kodak fame) and Henry Wilhelm, test paper and ink combinations by accelerated light fading. These tests are conducted under controlled conditions and the predicted longevities are mathematical estimates.

For this reason, any numbers you read or hear about should be taken with a grain of salt. It is important to do research on your own. If you feel a long print life (20 years or more) is important, be prepared to test several inks and papers. Find the right combination for you, review the predictions by their manufacturers, then begin printing and don’t look back. In the meantime, technology will proceed forward and better possibilities will be available once you are ready to change.

In a short time, inkjet printers, inks and papers have moved from the office environment to high end photographic and artistic reproduction. With a little investment in time and money, one can have a surprisingly sophisticated system for photography, fine art or graphic design.

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Drew Hendrix, is Vice President of Red River Papers and is responsible for marketing, research and product development for inkjet products and accessories.

Red River is a manufacturer and converter of inkjet papers from around the world. Red River currently offers over 25 different inkjet papers for photography, fine art and graphic design. Located in Dallas, Texas, Red River has over 30 years experience in the fine paper industry.