| The quick answer is...yes and no.Consider this. How | | | | work.Not so with pigmented inks. Pigmented inks |
| many printer models do you think there are out | | | | are used in most black inkjet cartridges today. |
| there right now? 1000? 2000? Who knows. But | | | | Epson has a version of color pigmented inks they |
| one thing I do know is nobody is going to spend | | | | call DuraBrite inks. They are very expensive to |
| the time testing the wrong inks in the wrong | | | | make and there is quite a hefty premium on the |
| cartridges all day long to see if it works.All printer | | | | bulk inks from any manufacturer that I have |
| manufacturers do things a little different. Without | | | | contacted.DO NOT use pigmented inks in any |
| getting technical, there are basically three different | | | | cartridge that was designed to use dye based |
| technologies for inkjet printers. Epson uses | | | | ink.Generally speaking, HP and Lexmark inks are |
| Piezoelectric, Canon uses Bubblejet and HP and | | | | interchangeable because their process' are similar. |
| Lexmark use thermal inkjet technology.An ink | | | | Watch for color variations though.The newer |
| designed for Canon, for instance, has a much | | | | Canon cartridges, BCI-3e and BCI-6 colors are so |
| lower convection rate than an ink made for HP or | | | | close that most people cannot tell them apart. |
| Lexmark. The reason is HP's cartridge print heads | | | | Ironically the cartridges are physically identical |
| fire at thousands of degrees. The ink must be | | | | except for the BCI-3e black which is slightly larger. |
| made to withstand that kind of heat or your | | | | The BCI-3e black takes pigmented ink while the |
| resulting output will be unpredictable.Also there are | | | | BCI-6 takes dye based. Be careful here. Some of |
| basically two kinds of ink. Dye based and | | | | the new Canon printers take both BCI-3e and |
| Pigmented. Pigmented ink particles are much larger | | | | BCI-6 black cartridges.To wrap it up I'll say that |
| than dye based particles so using a pigmented ink | | | | you can use most inks in most printers with the |
| in a cartridge designed to use dye based ink will | | | | exceptions that I already mentioned. Color |
| result in a clogged print head every time. Also, | | | | variations, if they occur, might be compensated |
| pigmented inks are waterfast on any surface. | | | | for in the printer driver settings. Be prepared to |
| Notice I said waterfast and not waterproof. | | | | fiddle with it. Physical damage to the printer is |
| Pigmented inks can made waterproof if they are | | | | unlikely in any case, unless the cartridge is leaking |
| used with the proper media. The same goes with | | | | when you put it into your printer. But you |
| dye based inks.Pay attention to this because it will | | | | wouldn't do that. Would you?Barry Shultz is the |
| apply to any ink on the market. Any dye based | | | | author of Atlascopy News, and President of |
| ink can be used in ANY inkjet printer. The color | | | | Atlascopy, Inc. Atlascopy specializes in affordable |
| output may not be what you expected but it will | | | | alternatives to the high cost of printer supplies. |