# 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](https://manual.maticmedia.co.uk/books/mimaki-tx300p-mkii "Mimaki TX300P-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.

### Printers that use UV ink in the building...

- [Canon Colorado 1650](https://manual.maticmedia.co.uk/books/colorado-1650 "Colorado 1650")
- [Canon Arizona 660XT](https://manual.maticmedia.co.uk/books/arizona-660-xt "Arizona 660 XT")
- [Mimaki UJV-55-320](https://manual.maticmedia.co.uk/books/mimaki-ujv55-320 "Mimaki UJV55-320")