Printers using micro-droplet printing technology for special inks have become incredibly popular since they hit the market. This is explained by the low cost of the devices, the ability to print color prints on paper, a simple and reliable design, and a long service life.
Their only drawback is the high price of ink cartridges filled with ink, which tend to run out quickly at the most crucial moments. At the same time, it is possible to save a significant amount if the ink for the printer is refilled independently. Although this is known to many, some of the nuances are left without due attention, which is why sometimes after refueling the print unit fails. Everyone who decides to learn how to fill cartridges simply needs to know what ink for the printer exists, if only because by understanding the differences in the appearance of the same printing fluids, it’s possible to keep the printer working.
Work principles
Inkjet printers are manufactured by several large companies - HP, Lexmark, Canon and Epson. We knowingly pointed out the latter separately from the other three - this manufacturer uses a completely different principle of transferring an image to a medium. In the devices of the first three of these companies, ink for the printer is transferred using thermal ink technology, and in Epsons the piezoelectric effect is used. Let us consider in more detail each of the solutions.
Thermal printing (bubble jet) is known to everyone - a complex name hides a principle that every student knows about. In the nozzles of the
print head, through which ink for the printer passes through the paper, there are tiny heating elements that can heat up to high temperatures in a split second. The composition of the coloring liquid is selected in such a way that with such heating, air bubbles appear in large quantities, which push the microdrop out - onto the carrier.
Epson devices use a completely different solution. Special crystals are installed in the nozzles, a feature of which is the ability to contract under the influence of an electric current. Thus, the ink for the printer is simply pushed out due to its compression by the walls of the camera.
From the foregoing, several conclusions follow:
- coloring liquids intended for devices of various manufacturing companies are incompatible with each other and are not interchangeable, if such a possibility is not indicated separately;
- the use of inks designed for thermal inkjet printing in piezoelectric solutions will sooner or later cause the device to fail;
- the cost of the dye can vary significantly, and the reason for this is not only in the greed of the manufacturer. That is why the question "how much does ink for a printer cost", which is often asked by beginners, cannot be answered without knowledge of the model of the printing device. And the cost depends on the composition of the liquid.
Types of Ink Composition
In addition to the above differences, all dyes are divided into two groups - water-soluble, low cost, and pigment, which is preferred by those who need higher quality and print safety. The ink of the first group basically contains purified water, to which the dye itself is added in a certain proportion. The necessary properties are provided by special additives to achieve the desired viscosity, drying time (preservation of nozzles), etc. The advantages of such dyes include a low price. Their disadvantage is that water, accidentally falling on a sheet with printed data, causes ink to diffuse.
Pigmented coloring liquids are deprived of this feature. They are a suspension of colored microparticles, which are the basis of a special solvent. Additives ensure that particles do not settle to the bottom of the tank and that they are firmly fixed to the paper. The price of such solutions is higher than that of water-soluble ones.
When changing the types of ink, it is necessary to carefully remove from the cartridge the remnants of the former with the wash liquid.