How the two work
Dye ink is dissolved in liquid and soaks into the coating on the paper. Pigment ink is made of tiny solid particles that sit on or near the surface. That one difference explains almost everything people argue about.
Where dye wins
- Saturated color and smooth tone on glossy and luster paper.
- Usually the cheaper way into a 13-inch photo printer.
- Great for prints that live in albums and frames behind glass.
Where pigment wins
- Longer display life and better resistance to water and handling.
- Better on matte, textured and fine-art papers, where dye can look flat.
- Deeper blacks on matte stock when the printer has a dedicated matte black.
The printers on this site, sorted
Dye or dye-like photo ink: Canon PIXMA PRO-200S, Epson EcoTank Photo ET-8550 and ET-8500, Epson XP-8700 and XP-15000, Canon PIXMA G620, plus every dye-sublimation printer. Pigment: Canon imagePROGRAF PRO-310 and PRO-1100, and Epson SureColor P900.
A myth worth dropping
‘Pigment is always better’ isn’t true. A pigment printer on glossy paper is a good print, but a dye printer on glossy paper is often a more exciting one. Pigment pays off when the paper is matte, when prints are sold or shown for years, or when prints will be touched.
Thirty-second decision
- Mostly glossy, mostly for home: dye.
- Mostly matte or fine art: pigment.
- Selling or exhibiting: pigment.
- Printing 4 x 6 for albums: dye-sublimation, which sidesteps the question.