Pigment vs dye inks
Also known as: Pigment ink · Dye ink · Archival ink
Two ink chemistries used in inkjet printing. Pigment inks bond colour to paper as particles and last decades; dye inks dissolve colour chemically and fade within years.
The two ink chemistries used in inkjet printing differ fundamentally in how they put colour on paper. Pigment inks suspend a solid colour particle (typically a few hundred nanometres across) in a carrier fluid; once printed, the carrier evaporates and the pigment particle sits physically on or just below the paper's surface. Dye inks dissolve a chemical colourant directly into the carrier; when printed, the dye soaks into the paper fibres and stays in solution within the paper structure.
The practical consequence is lightfastness. Pigment particles are physically too large for individual ultraviolet photons to break apart efficiently; they fade slowly over decades. Dye molecules are small enough that UV breaks the chemical bonds quickly; dye prints fade visibly within years under typical display conditions. Wilhelm Imaging Research consistently rates pigment-on-archival-paper combinations at 100+ years and dye-on-archival-paper combinations at 5–25 years.
Other differences worth knowing. Pigment inks produce slightly less saturated colours than dye inks but with a wider tonal range and deeper blacks. Pigment inks are more water-resistant — a fingerprint or spill on a pigment print wipes off; the same on a dye print smears. Pigment inks are more expensive to manufacture and slower to dry, which is why dye is still standard for home photo printers where lifespan isn't the priority.
For fine art, pigment is the only sensible choice. Every gallery selling prints they describe as archival uses pigment inks; the 100-year rating depends on them. Our prints use Hahnemühle's pigment-ink workflow tuned to German Etching 310gsm — both halves of the archival equation properly specified.
Common questions about pigment vs dye inks
- What's the difference between pigment and dye inks?
- Pigment inks suspend solid colour particles in a carrier — when printed, the pigment sits physically on the paper surface. Dye inks dissolve colourant chemically — when printed, the dye soaks into the paper fibres and stays in solution. Pigment is dramatically more lightfast (100+ years vs 5-25 years) and water-resistant; dye produces slightly more saturated colour at the cost of longevity.
- Why are pigment inks more archival than dye?
- Pigment particles are too large for individual UV photons to break apart efficiently — they fade slowly over decades. Dye molecules are small enough that UV breaks their chemical bonds quickly. Combined with archival paper and UV-filtering glazing, pigment prints maintain their colour for generations; dye prints visibly shift within years.
- Do you use pigment or dye inks?
- Every Clark & Darcey print is made with archival pigment inks. The 100+ year Wilhelm fade rating quoted across our prints depends on it; dye inks would barely make a tenth of the rating regardless of paper choice.