What is ink made of? Printer ink composition, explained

Like many pieces of tech in our lives, we just expect our printers to work, without giving much thought into what’s going on behind the scenes to make that final output happen. And that final output relies heavily on printer ink – but have you ever wondered what exactly printer ink is?

As the printing experts, we’ve got the know-how when it comes to the intricacies of your printer – and that includes its ink. Let’s take a closer look at the composition of printer ink – and explore why when it comes to making your choice, it pays to opt for quality.

What is ink made out of?

In the simplest terms, printer ink is a substance that’s designed for transferring text and images onto paper. The type of printer you have determines whether you need ink or toner – with the most common being inkjet and laser printers. While inkjet printers typically use liquid ink in CMYK cartridges (cyan, magenta, yellow and black), laser printers use toner – a fine powder made of plastic particles and pigments. Printer ink typically has several key components, which work together to produce that final printout:

• Pigments and dyes: Provide colour and vibrancy.

• Solvents: Maintain fluidity for smooth flow through printer nozzles.

• Binders: Help ink adhere to paper and stay durable over time.

• Additives: Prevent clogging, enhance drying speed, and improve print longevity.

How are different colours formed in printer ink?

We have so many colour options when it comes to producing graphics and imagery, but how are these colours formed when we click print? CMYK is the colour mixing system, consisting of cyan, magenta, yellow and black. Your printer layers dots of these base inks in different proportions to create millions of colour options, so while a printer cartridge only typically contains four colours, the possibilities are endless when it comes to what it can produce.

Breaking down printer ink types

Now we’ve looked into the question of how is ink made, we’re going to break down the printer ink types to explore which type might be best for your printing needs. Typically, printer inks can fit into a few core categories: dye-based, pigment-based, and specialty inks for more niche applications.

Dye-based ink:

• Vibrant colours, although more susceptible to water and fade damage than other inks.
• Ideal for high-quality photo printing.

Pigment-based ink:

• Durable, fade-resistant, and smudge-proof.
• Commonly used for professional documents and archival printing.

Specialty inks:

• Include sublimation inks, UV-curable inks, and solvent-based inks for specific applications.

What makes printer ink expensive?

You may wonder what is in ink that makes it an expensive commodity, and the reality is that like most things in life, you pay for quality. Leading printer manufacturers like Brother are focused on several factors to improve the performance of ink. This includes:

• Research and development
  At Brother, we’re focused on minimising our ink’s impact on the environment. We’re the first manufacturer to offer remanufacturing of used ink cartridges through our free ReNew by Brother cartridge remanufacturing and recycling programme.

• Quality control
  Brother ink and toner cartridges are tested rigorously to ensure we are always delivering the highest standards when it comes to safety and performance – so you can count on flawless results, every time.

• Advanced technology 
  As printer technology advances so must the ink we use. At Brother, we continually optimise our ink formulations to suit our growing range of printers, including our inkjet printers, which feature MAXIDRIVE – our newly developed print head technology. This tech supports rapid printing and durable design, delivering up 50% faster and 100% more prints in a lifetime than conventional models.

It’s important to invest in quality consumables to protect the life of your machine and the quality of your printing, so remember to stay alert to counterfeit cartridges.

Ink vs toner: how do these substances differ?

As we’ve already explored, different printers require different consumables – notably, ink and toner. But how do these substances differ in the way they interact with your paper?

Ink – Ink is designed to absorb into paper fibres, creating images through tiny droplets sprayed from nozzles. This is best for producing vibrant colours and high detail.

Toner – Toner bonds onto your paper’s surface using heat and pressure, creating images through electrostatic charges. This produces results that are more durable and water resistant than traditional liquid ink, making it ideal for high-volume printing.

Why choose Brother for your printer ink?

At Brother, we have printing quality at our core. Brother original inks and toners are tested to the highest standards to always deliver the clearest results, time after time. And along with quality, we’re here to bring convenience to your printing with our range of subscription plans – providing quality consumables that meet your printing needs, at a fraction of the cost.

Both our EcoPro and MPS services offer specialised plans to ensure you never run out of ink or toner again. Your subscription cost is based on how much you print, supplies are ordered automatically when you’re low on ink or toner, and it’s all delivered for free.

Get started with the plan that’s right for you today – or if your printing needs are more complex, get in touch with our printing experts for advice.