Why said thermal sublimation ink development trend not as good as pigment ink?

Everyone knows that the difference between UV printers and ordinary inkjet printers is still very large, especially for printing effects. Why is there so much difference in printing results? Mainly because of the ink.Oil-based ink for UV flatbed printer. UV printers use oil-based inks (mostly pigment inks), while conventional inkjet printers use water-based inks (mostly thermal sublimation inks). So why is the development trend of oily ink better than water-based ink? Please read on.

1.The definition of water-based sublimation ink and oil pigment ink

"Water-based ink" is also called dye ink, including sublimation ink, molecular-level fully dissolved ink. This ink is a complete composite solution. The probability of blocking the ink head is very small. It is easy to be absorbed by the material after printing. It is characterized by bright colors, clear layers and price. It is also lower than pigment inks, so it is the first choice for printing photo products and making color inkjet cards. The disadvantage is that the photo itself is not waterproof, and because the dye molecules are quickly decomposed under ultraviolet light, which causes obvious fading within one month of outdoor ultraviolet light, it is usually added to the surface during the production process. After the film is applied, the photo can be completely waterproof as well as the oily ink photo, and the effect of the oil film (sue surface), bright (glossy surface), cloth pattern, and laser can be exhibited in the photos through different types of film.

 Thermal Sublimation Ink

Oil ink is not the same ink as paint. On the contrary, oily inks are inks that are ground into very fine particles and dissolved in a special water solvent, so oily inks are also called pigment inks. Oily ink is a suspension solution or semi-solution. It is the same as the pigment of our dyed clothing. It is completely opposite to the principle that dye ink penetrates into the medium to form color. It is attached to the medium by color material (such as copy paper or printing paper). Etc.) The surface is colored. Therefore, it has the advantage of printing with pigment ink, even if it is printed on plain paper, it will not smear, and since the pigment itself is waterproof, it is not easily broken down by ultraviolet rays, so its water resistance is strong, it is also light-resistant, and printed matter Even if used outdoors, it can last for more than a year without obvious signs of fading. The disadvantage is that most pigment inks will leave the surface of the color material, so even if you print on paper with a flat surface such as glossy paper, you can't print a glossy image, which is why it is usually printed with pigment ink. The things are all dull, and the photos are made of water. The surface is not covered with a film. It is easy to leave traces such as straight lines during use. In addition, the pigment ink is expensive to manufacture, so the price is also higher than the dye ink, and the price difference is as high as two to four times (the effect is certainly expensive).

2.Advantages and disadvantages of two inks

Oil pigment ink. It is most suitable for printing on perforated materials because it is dried by absorption. They are formulated with vegetable oil or mineral oil. It is especially useful in the field of cardboard packaging; it is not suitable for use in confined office spaces because Air pollution is generated. The colorants used can be divided into two types: pigment type and dye type. Oil-soluble type inks are characterized by fast drying, so they are commonly used in industry.
Oil-soluble type inks are characterized by fast drying, so they are commonly used in industry.

 Sublimation Transfer Ink

Dye sublimation ink. Commonly used on perforated and non-coated substrates, such as paperboard and paper, are also often used in the printing of direct mail products and other commercial printing markets. It can also be divided into pigment type and dye type. Because the pigment is insoluble in water, it will precipitate. Therefore, the pigment particles should be ground very fine. If it is as small as 30μm, it will have a better printing effect. Otherwise, when using high resolution. It is easy to cause blockage. The weather resistance, light fastness, washing fastness and abrasion fastness of the pigment itself are very good. The advantage of the dye is that there is no problem in solubility, and there are many kinds of colors, and the vividness is good, but the fastness is poor.

Summary: Why is oil pigment ink a trend? Water-based sublimation transfer inks have the characteristics of low cost and smooth texture, but they are easy to fade and discoloration, and the printing effect is very general. Oil inks are more suitable for printing on different materials, such as toys, leather, wood, glass, materials, acrylic and other materials. Applicable industries are also more extensive. The printed effect is also not easy to fade. Generally speaking, it can be kept outdoors for 3 years, and it can be 5 years without fading. If it is indoor, it can be fading for 10 years. UV flatbed printers with ink ink can be said to be the golden partner of the latest technology combination.

More Info:
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