Two common types of inks are dye and pigment inks.

  • Dry inks are water based. This is the most common ink used in desktop printers.
  • Dry inks can break down and fade overtime
  • Dry inks are cheaper than pigment inks.
  • Dry inks are absorbed by your printer paper.
  • Pigment ink is not absorbed into the printer paper; instead it sits on the surface of the paper.
  • It is believed that the prints with pigment inks may last for hundreds of years.
  • Some pigment inks don’t print well on glossy paper; this is because the ink normally creates a matte finish.