Choosing the Best Inks for High Quality Photographic Printing
DIY Photo Album From Instaxworld
With the explosion of digital photography in the last decade people have hundreds, even thousands of photographs stored on their computers or tablets. But there is one thing that hasn’t changed much since the old days of photography: people still love a printed photograph. Sure it’s easy and convenient to email a photo of a new baby to the grandparents, but there is still something beautiful about a printed photo. You may not always want to go to your computer to see your images; you may want to see them every day as you walk down the hallway to your kitchen, or have a picture of your wife in your wallet, or even just keep a picture of your dream vacation on your desk as motivation. No matter what the reason, we all want at least some printed photos.
When deciding how to get your digital images made into prints, you have two main choices: you can send your files to a digital laboratory to have them printed or you can print them yourself in your home. Digital labs generally produce very high quality prints but often come with a price tag to match. When printing at home, if you carefully consider your options, you can produce high quality prints that can rival what you would get from a lab!
When printing your photographs from home, you biggest consideration will be your printer and the inks that you use. To some extent, these two decisions are interrelated. Not all printers will use all types of inks, and vice versa. There are two main types of ink that affect the quality of photographic printing and your intended use of the prints, as well as budget, will determine which is best for you. The two types of inks are known as dye-based inks and pigment-based inks. Dye based inks are, as they sound, made up of a coloring agent dissolved in a liquid. Dye based inks are the most common and relatively inexpensive, but they do have their downfalls. Dye-based inks are usually not waterproof and fade relatively quickly. A well cared for print made with dye-based inks can only be expected to last for about 25 years before visible fading or damage will occur. Pigment-based inks are similar, but instead of having a coloring agent dissolved in liquid, there are coloring particles suspended in the liquid. These particles do not dissolve and so therefore are much more stable. Pigment-based prints can last up to 100 years or more without visible fading, though they generally cost more and require higher quality printers.
When choosing which type of ink, and therefore which series of printer to purchase, think carefully about your needs. Do you want to print images that you will pass down for generations or do you simply want a way to show off your latest great shots for a couple of months. Think also about the frequency that you will print both types of images. If you want to print some long lasting images, but only a few a year, using a printing lab for those special prints, and printing the rest of your photos at home with dye-based inks could be the way to go. Whatever you choose, make sure and assess your specific needs and wants so that you are making the best decision possible! Join to our newsletter and save big with our monthly coupons!