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Are all Inkjet printer inks the same ?

Ok here we go.. No and that is exactly why you need to know a little about inks before you jump off and buy a universal ink kit for all your printers needs.

What is Ink ?

Ink is a chemical composition of a multitude of chemicals each offering a range of characteristics required for image reproduction and quality.

Properties of Ink

Conductivity/Cleanliness

Specifically a measure of the contaminants (salts etc..) in the ink. The cleaner the ink the better, as any contaminants can potentially get clogged in the heads of the printers and cause quality and potentially fatal failures of the heads.

Color Absorbency

Color reflectance and absorbency. An obvious characteristic and one most often referred to. I.E. The Color of the ink. In reality it is a complex measurement (Spectrophotometer) where the the amount of light reflected as specific wavelengths can be calculated. Absorbency, is a measurement of the frequencies of light being absorbed.

pH

Simply a measure of the alkalinity/acidity of a water based solution. A neutral figure of 7.0 achieves the optimum level to ensure a minimum of interaction with the head assemblies (metal) and a more consistent output on the print media. I.E. Different papers may react different to varying PH levels. By ensuring a neutral PH the overall consistency of printouts across different mediums will be better maintained.

Surface Tension

Defines the drop integrity. Size and shape which are critical when it comes to consistency of print output. How well does the drop hold its shape before drying.

Viscosity

Determined as the flow rate of the ink. How quickly it an be sprayed on the output medium, and to ensure that it is not too thick as to clog the heads. Not too thin as to run/bleed across the paper.

When it comes to ink, it is critical that your ink has been designed to function with your particular printer manufacturer’s products, and also to a degree, with the specific model of printer. I.E. All printers are not the same.

All Metawatch inks are specifically formulated for your specific printer manufacturer and model.

Filed under: FAQ, Inkjet Info | Tagged: absorbency, acidity, alkalinity, Cleanliness, Conductivity, contaminants, PH levels, reflectance, Spectrophotometer, Surface Tension, universal ink kit, Viscosity |