Magic ingredient

[Flying Scotsman]

This whole subject of fading ink is starting to become an obsession.
What I am wondering is does anyone know what Canon put in there ink to prevent fading.

 

[The Hat]

This whole subject of fading ink is starting to become an obsession.
What I am wondering is does anyone know what Canon put in there ink to prevent fading.

@Flying Scotsman, Research and Development, and lots of it...

 

[Flying Scotsman]

@The Hat so does nobody have any idea what they put in it or mix it with ???

 

[Ink stained Fingers]

@Flying Scotsman, Research and Development, and lots of it...

it's this type of chemical engineering , adjusting the dye molecules to a particular performance
http://www.fujifilm.com/about/research/report/054/pdf/index/ff_rd054_007_en.pdf

and more, that article is already some years old and does not tell you the latest secrets out of their labs. so it's not something they add - a sunscreen or alike - but it's the performance of the dyes itself.

 

[The Hat]

The Hat so does nobody have any idea what they put in it or mix it with ???

Even if you did, they would hang you out to dry in court for counterfeit and anything else they could think of at the time... Secrets are well guarded and protected...

 

[berttheghost]

This whole subject of fading ink is starting to become an obsession.
What I am wondering is does anyone know what Canon put in there ink to prevent fading.

Canon and Epson can't stop you from doing a web search on uv stabilizer and uv inhibitor. They can't keep you from understanding uv degradation. This problem exists everywhere that polymers (including but certainly not limited to inkjet inks) are exposed to sunlight.

Some things to note

Oxygen is required for some of the chemical reactions involved in color fading. A low permeability film can act as an oxygen barrier, starving the fading reactions of the necessary oxygen.

The inkjet paper is important as an oxygen barrier. That PE film does more than moisture control.

The ink base should act as both a uv absorber and an oxygen barrier. But maximizing the amount of dye or pigment decreases the relative amount of ink base along with its ability to provide an oxygen barrier. a GLOP or other protective spray coating can offer additional oxygen barrier and uv absorber.

Could a third party ink be reformulated with added ink base and possibly uv stabilizers for improved coloe fastness at the expense of color definition? hellifiknow ...

 

[Ink stained Fingers]

and more - such an UV barrier should be transparent at visible light and not be like a sunscreen milk, and there is another problem with such additives that they may add a color cast when degrading like optical brighteners, so it is quite a complex task with those inks, not to talk about other additives like a fungizide or something to keep pigments afloat and more e.g. controlling the surface tension. And the customer at the end buys the refill ink by the lowest price typically...Spray coating, lamination, putting the print behind glass are additional option after print for additional protection.

 

[The Hat]

if you want the best print quality every time then OEM inks and paper are undoubtedly the way to go, but if you want to print like a paper publisher till the cows come home and within budget, then quality 3rd party inks are the very best and only option available to you.

If a 3rd party ink manufacture make quality inks just as good as OEM inks, they would cease to exist in no time, because we couldn’t afford their ink either, so support your local quality ink suppliers and send them a Christmas card too..

 

[mikem65d]

so support your local quality ink suppliers and send them a Christmas card too..

Printed with 3rd party ink of course........

 

[Tin Ho]

Another important aspect of formulating thermal bubblejet ink is in adjusting the ink's boiling point temperature. It has to be higher than a threshold point or the ink will simply clog the print head. Home brewing ink trying to adjust colors can be harmful to the print head if the boiling point of the resulted juice is not properly adjusted. Messing with OEM or 3rd party ink is foolish and dangerous. Color formation of an ink is only a small part of ink formulation technology. Yes, fade resistance is a significant part of it.

Epson ink on the other hand has no boiling point requirement. But make no mistake about it, Epson ink is armed with many patented technologies in it. There is no easy way to mess with it either.