Printing Technologies
Solvent
What is it?
Solvent ink is a dye based ink with a base of solvent. It works by the solvent eating into the material, being evaporated off by heat with the dye left behind in the material.
What can you print with it?
Solvent inks are a very robust ink type. They can be used for any Roll to Roll media, though they provide poor colours on paper based media.
Printers that use solvent ink in the building...
Matic Media currently do not operate solvent ink printers.
Water Based
What is it?
Water based inks are a dye based ink with a base of water, this means they are ecologically friendly as they are bio-degradable. They work by spraying onto a media, they the water quickly evaporating off leaving the pigment in the media.
What can you print with it?
Water Based inks tend to only work on paper based or treated plastic based medias.
Printers that use water based ink in the building...
We have a small Canon printer that uses water based inks.
Dye Sublimation
What is it?
Dye sublimation is a water based ink that uses heat transfer to transfer pigment to polyester based materials through either a fixation unit or a paper based transfer via a sublimator or a heat press.
What can you print with it?
Polyester based fabrics.
Printers that use dye sublimination in the building...
The Mimaki TX300 mkii uses dye sublimination based inks.
UV Ink
What is it?
UV ink is a UV curable ink system which remains liquid until cured with a UV light source. It uses the same technology as white filings used in dentistry which you may be familiar with. As it is a dry ink system (it instantly dries when cured) it can be used in Roll to Roll and Flatbed printing operations.
What can you print with it?
Any rigid or flexible material. Some materials require a primer for the ink to "Stick" to the material before printing.
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