About Inkjet Printer Ink
Few components of a computer printer are less thought about than an inkjet's printing ink. The only time it even comes to mind is when it runs out or fades. But what is inkjet printer ink and how does it work to produce a range of printed products from photos to text?
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History
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In the 1980s an engineer at Hewlett-Packard noticed that his automatic drip coffeemaker made coffee without mechanically moving the water. Heat moved the water from a reservoir to make coffee, and the same principle is what powers inkjet printer cartridges. Heat is applied via an electrical current to the nozzles of the cartridge, which allows a very small (about 15 picoliters) amount of printer ink to drop onto the page; thousands of ink droplets make a single word.
Significance
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Because printer ink works on the principle of heat induction to move ink, inks for pens are generally unsuitable because they are more of a paste than a liquid. Hewlett-Packard engineers developed a water-based ink, called pigment, that was thin enough to pass through the aperture but not so watery that it flowed out of the ink cartridge before heat was applied. Early inkjet printers offered only black ink because the process was expensive and black was a relatively easy color to manufacture.
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Function
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In the 1990s, inkjet printer technology advanced enough to reduce the price to a level average consumers could afford. As Hewlett-Packard was joined by other computer component manufacturers, such as Canon and Samsung, new competitive advantages had to be devised. Color inks began to be offered; cyan, magenta and yellow used synthetic colors dissolved in a similar water formula as the black ink. The result was three-color ink cartridges whose function was more sophisticated than the basic black cartridges.
Features
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As inkjet printer technology advanced, the need for increasingly higher-resolution products forced changes in the makeup of inks. The apertures of cartridges has shrunk over time, with some of the smallest drops measuring 3 picoliters. These smaller apertures require increasingly pure inks; naturally occurring clumps and impurities can clog these more advanced cartridges. Engineers at the leading printer manufacturers, such as Epson, Hewlett-Packard and Canon, have devised their own strategies to combat these clogs.
Considerations
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In a move to increase ink use efficiency, Epson has devised a new approach to color printing with its DURABrite process. Instead of a standard tricolor printer cartridge, there are three separate ink cartridges. The ink is specially filtered and designed to flow out of custom nozzles, increasing resolution. Hewlett-Packard has turned to a synthetic dye process and is beginning to eliminate water-dissolved pigments. This process, called Vivera, also involves several filtration methods to remove impurities. Both Hewlett-Packard and Epson have moved away from water-based inks and into water-repelling, or hydrophobic, inks and dyes, a complete about-face from previous technologies.
Theories/Speculation
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Still, older technology printer ink and cartridges are used in homes and offices across the country. Many of these users have opted to ignore the technological advances and refill their printer cartridges from alternative ink sources: third-party manufacturers, fill-while-you-wait stations at drugstores and office supply stores, and even do-it-yourself ink refill kits. All of these use ink based on the formulas developed in the 1980s and 1990s. The result is a booming secondary market for refilled, remanufactured ink cartridges, a development that has cut into the profitability of ink sales for major manufacturers.
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