Differences Between Pigment and Dye Inkjet Ink for Screen Printing

Choosing the right ink for film printing is critical to achieving sharp screen exposures, clean halftone detail, and durable prints. Freehand has extensively tested both pigment and dye-based inks across multiple printer brands, and the results are clear: Dmax® dye ink consistently outperforms Epson, Canon, HP and other pigment inks for professional screen printing needs.

What Is the Difference Between Pigment and Dye Ink?

In general, pigment inks use solid particles suspended in liquid, while dye inks use soluble colorants. This fundamental difference impacts performance when printing films for screen printing.

• Dye inks (such as Dmax®) offer superior UV blocking, faster washouts, and better halftone detail as well as edge quality.
• Pigment inks (such as Epson and Canon OEM) are less dense, less durable, and prone to scratching off film surfaces. This also leads to difficulty washing out screens, leading to loss of quality and detail.
  For screen printing, density and durability are key to producing high-quality stencils with strong exposure units, especially when using powerful LED exposure systems.

Why Dmax Dye Ink Outperforms Pigment Ink

Through rigorous testing and real-world use, Freehand found that Dmax dye ink consistently delivers superior performance across all critical areas:

1. UV Light Blocking

Dmax ink blocks the greatest amount of UV light, improving stencil quality and exposure consistency. This leads to sharper edges, better halftone detail, and superior overall print results.

2. Faster Washout with Less Pressure

Screens exposed with Dmax wash out faster and with less spray pressure. This reduces the risk of detail loss and undercutting, making it easier to maintain fine lines and halftones.

3. Superior Density and Durability

Dmax films reach an impressive density of 4.5 to 5.0, outperforming OEM inks. Pigment inks, by contrast, lack the density needed for strong exposure and will easily scratch or flake off film media.

4. Better Compatibility with High-Powered LED Exposure Units

While some Epson pigment inks might produce workable results with lower-powered exposure units, they often struggle under stronger LED systems, requiring higher washout force and leading to reduced stencil quality. Dmax is engineered to handle powerful exposure units without compromising detail or durability.

Issues with OEM Pigment Inks

Testing revealed significant downsides when using OEM pigment inks for screen printing. These inks are formulated exclusively for paper printing and lack the technical ability to print properly or achieve high density on coated film media. Pigment inks are technically wrong for printing on film media. 

• Epson pigment ink requires more aggressive washout, which can compromise fine detail.
• Canon pigment ink does not deliver acceptable density or durability for professional screen exposures and is not recommended.
  
  

Screen printers using pigment ink find themselves needing to adjust exposure times, chemicals, and washout techniques to compensate for the lower performance complications that Dmax avoids entirely.

Key Takeaways

• Dmax dye ink outperforms Epson and Canon pigment inks in UV blocking, washout performance, density, and durability.
• Dmax enables faster, cleaner exposures with less risk of stencil damage, especially with LED exposure units.

For film printing in screen printing applications, Dmax is the preferred and proven choice to achieve the best results.