What Is Archival Pigment Ink & Why Is It Better?
When creating fine arts and photography prints, professional artists understand the importance of perfection. They dedicate countless hours to their craft and therefore demand that their prints capture the original's true essence.
High-quality materials, such as archival pigment inks, must be used to achieve this goal.
Archival pigment ink is commonly used in inkjet printers to create fine art prints and photographs because it produces long-lasting, high-quality prints with exceptional color stability and a strong resistance to fading. Premium archival inks are specifically designed to produce prints that are not only visually stunning but also long-lasting.
By opting for premium archival inks, artists can rest assured that their art will be presented in the best possible light and that it will last for generations if properly cared for.
Now let's dig a little deeper!
What Is Archival Pigment Ink?
The primary benefit of archival pigment ink is evident in its name. Archival inks are designed to recreate pieces of art that can be stored or archived for an exceptionally long time without degradation.
Archival pigment ink is manufactured from solid, opaque pigments suspended in an ink solution. These solid particles provide the ink's coloring via the crystalline structure of the floating pigments. This structure makes archival inks more color-fast than more common ink options, such as dye-based inks.
Why Do I Want To Use Archival Pigment Ink?
Now that we know what archival pigment ink is let's discuss why it is better than the alternatives.
Archival pigment ink is formulated with high-quality pigments that make it more resistant to fading and deterioration over time than standard dye-based inks. This makes it a preferred choice for producing prints that need to withstand the test of time.
In short, for a professional artist or photographer, archival pigment ink is the only choice that ensures a print will last as long as possible and look its absolute best.
Below we outline some of of archival pigment ink's best qualities.
Archival Inks Create Long-Lasting Art Prints
Standard inks are adequate for many projects, but they will start to fade in a relatively short amount of time. The crystalline structure and solid particles in archival pigment inks ensure they don't fade as quickly as other kinds of ink. In fact, with proper care, art and photography prints made with archival pigment inks will last for generations without fading.
Archival Inks Have More Stable Coloration
Archival pigment inks are long-lasting because of the potent bond they form with the paper they are printed on. The chemical composition of archival ink combined with a technologically advanced giclee printing method ensures that the bond between paper and ink remains stable and robust for decades, enabling the ink to resist the effects of warping and moisture over time.
Archival Inks Have More Intense Coloration
While the long-lasting nature of archival pigment inks is one of their greatest strengths, so is their overall vibrancy and intense coloration. The robust bond created with archival pigment inks also offers better color stability and accuracy than dye-based inks.
Archival inks also offer a more accurate range of colors and tones, making them better suited to reproduce the intricate details and subtle color variations typical of fine art and photography. Regular dye-based inks cannot realistically recreate a painting using pigment-heavy mediums like oil paint.
It is, therefore, much easier to create a print that retains the subtle color balances of the original with archival pigment inks.
Archival Inks Are More Water and Fade Resistant
Archival pigment inks are also less susceptible to the effects of UV light and environmental factors, which can cause colors to fade or shift over time. This resistance to fading helps ensure that prints maintain their original appearance for centuries.
Archival pigment inks are also more water-resistant than dye-based inks. This characteristic makes them suitable for applications where moisture is a concern, such as for fine art displayed in humid environments or prints that might come into contact with water.
At The Stackhouse Printery, we use archival inks, the highest quality media, and years of experience to create prints of your work that will last a lifetime that you'll be excited to share with the world.