| If you're like most people, when you think of | | | | wavelengths of light. Most pigments used in producing |
| promotional pens, you are probably not interested in | | | | promotional pens are ground into a fine powder and |
| how they're made or what types of ink they use. | | | | then combined with an adhesive (the vehicle). |
| Terms like "solvents," "resins," and "surfactants" | | | | Pigment molecules typically make up anywhere from |
| simply go in one ear and out the other. Your only | | | | five to 30 percent of the total ink volume. |
| concern is whether or not the instrument works. | | | | Inks are more frequently coloured with pigments |
| Then there are the "chosen few" of you who get | | | | than dyes due to their greater colour-fastness. |
| your kicks from multimeters, wire strippers, and big | | | | Pigmented inks, however, tend to be more |
| numbers. So, for the technically-minded or just plain | | | | expensive and less colour-consistent than dye-based |
| curious, here is a concise introduction to the ins and | | | | inks. |
| outs of printed pen inks. | | | | Dye: A dye is a coloured solute that has an attraction |
| Ink is a varied and complex concoction that consists | | | | to the surface to which it is applied. What makes |
| of dyes, pigments, resins, solvents, lubricants, | | | | dye-based ink unique is the chemical interaction of |
| surfactants, and other substances. Although ink | | | | the dye molecules with other ink components. This |
| recipes differ, most printed pen inks are generally | | | | molecular relationship means that dyed inks respond |
| composed of four basic ingredients: a colourant (e.g. | | | | better to colour-enhancing additives. Consequently, |
| dyes or pigments), a carrier substance or solvent, | | | | dyed printed pen inks are generally stronger and can |
| vehicles (or adhesives), and various additives. These | | | | produce a greater intensity and wider range of |
| components combined help to regulate the ink's | | | | colours than pigment-based inks. |
| thickness and flow as well as its final appearance on | | | | Dye-based inks are typically water-soluble. As a |
| paper when dry. | | | | result, they tend to soak into paper and bleed, often |
| Pigment-based and dye-based inks are the two main | | | | creating a poor-quality image. To avoid this problem, |
| types of ink most commonly used in today's | | | | promotional pens with dye-based ink, such as printed |
| promotional pens. These inks are specially formulated | | | | fountain pens, should be used on coated paper |
| to suit the personalised pens in which they are used. | | | | designed specifically for this purpose. |
| Here is a brief breakdown of what makes these | | | | The most common inks used in promotional pens, |
| colourants unique. | | | | whether pigment- or dye-based, are either blue or |
| Pigment: A pigment is a mixture containing suspended | | | | black in colour. With such full-spectrum colour |
| particles that alter the proportion of certain reflected | | | | possibilities, however, the sky really is the limit. |