Understanding Large Format Plotter Ink Types: Aqueous Dye And Aqueous Pigment

In the architecture, engineering, and construction (AEC) industry, large format printing is an everyday task. Blueprints, technical drawings, and renderings need to be reproduced accurately and reliably using the right type of printing.

The most common printer in the AEC office is the aqueous inkjet printer: A larger, commercial version of the home desktop printer. Aqueous ink refers to any ink that uses water as a carrier fluid, which evaporates as the ink dries. Only a small amount of nontoxic passive components are added to the ink, so this allows for safe, nontoxic, and environmentally friendly printing in the office. Aqueous inkjet printing can be further differentiated by the ink types used: aqueous dye ink and aqueous pigment ink. Which to use simply depends on what you will be printing.

The golden rule is to never waste any time. The faster the print job, more time can be spent on core activities. Two areas to look out for, whatever architectural printer you choose, are:

• The time the printer takes to warm up from standby mode to begin printing.
• The time it takes to complete the first and subsequent prints, known as “throughput time”.

Speed is often listed in terms of images per minute (IPM) and pages per minute (PPM). For large format printers, PPM is typically given in terms of A1 sheets, as opposed to A4/letter sheets in standard printers.

In aqueous dye based ink, the dye acts as a colourant that is soluble in water. The ink is then absorbed by the print media (usually paper) during printing. Dye inkjet printers are able to produce extremely fine lines—akin to 0.2mm pencil lines in drafting—and can output detailed technical drawings with high precision. Hence, the typical plotter printer in the AEC office uses dye ink.

Low cost. Dye ink is less costly to formulate than pigment ink, and dye ink printers typically utilise a CMYK four-colour ink cartridge system that can produce a wide range of colours at high saturation.

Fast printing speed. Most printers built for plotting use dye inks and offer fast output to meet the demands of a busy office or job site.

Vibrant colours. Dye ink, with its soluble nature, can produce rich colours across a wide gamut. Modern, well-formulated dye inks should also be able to produce good results even on plain paper, given that nearly 90% of the large format printing done in AEC offices uses plain paper.2
One example of an aqueous dye-based printer is the HP DesignJet T830 Multifunction Printer, which is able to print bold, sharp lines and letters down to 0.02 mm line width to ensure that your floor plans and scale drawings are as accurate as can be.

In aqueous pigment based ink, coloured pigment particles are suspended in water much like chalk paint. While the print dries during and after printing, the water evaporates and leaves the pigments adhered to the paper surface.

Colour precision. Pigment ink printers typically use multiple colour cartridges, including grey and black ink, to support a wider colour gamut. This makes it ideal for printing GIS maps with a large amount of information, as well as architectural renderings photorealistic prints, backlit panels, and wall murals to show off your work at trade events.

Extreme longevity. Pigment ink molecules have excellent UV stability and fade resistance, even against indoor lighting conditions. This is why they are often chosen for professional photographic prints that are displayed at exhibitions or galleries. For instance, HP Vivid Photo Ink can produce prints that last for up to 200 years in museum conditions.1

Water resistance. Once dry, prints will not smudge or wash out when they come in contact with water.

Because they need to be carefully formulated for stability and quality, pigment ink cartridges tend to be more expensive than dye ink cartridges. In addition, prints made using pigment ink may have a matte appearance as the pigment particles sit on the surface of the paper.

The HP DesignJet Z9⁺ Printer is one example of a large format pigment ink printer. With a nine-colour ink set that includes separate grey and black ink cartridges, it can produce prints with high colour precision and bring every idea to life during presentations.

Unfortunately, dye and pigment inks are not interchangeable with their respective printers. You cannot use pigment ink in a dye ink printer or vice versa, as the print head is optimised differently for each ink type – and you may damage your print head by doing so.

It’s common to find both aqueous-dye and aqueous-pigment inkjet printers in the AEC office, as they each have their unique and complementary applications.

The dye-based plotter printer is an essential piece of equipment for AECs, which rely on plans and drawings with highly accurate detail. On the other hand, a pigment-based printer can be invaluable if you need larger format and higher-resolution outputs, from GIS maps to gallery-quality renderings.

If you have the budget and the space, invest in both to help grow your business. By getting a reliable dye-based plotter printer with strong print management capabilities on site, teams can work more efficiently and reduce ambiguity while delivering projects. Additionally, by using a pigment-based printer to present maps and renderings to clients, you can further enhance your brand’s reputation for quality.

1. Wilhelm Imaging Research, HP DesignJet Z9+ Printer – Preliminary WIR Print Permanence Ratings, 8 February 2020

2. 88% of prints are for review and collaboration on plain media, based on a survey conducted by HP and HP customer interviews.