dye-based to pigment based ink

[herrpee]

Hi, I just bought an ET-8550 and I have been experimenting with it. I totally love the printer, but I'm afraid I bought I without doing all the research I needed to Costly mistake, but maybe you can help me out... The ink used in the colors is the dye-based ink, with one black being pigment based (and only used when you select velvet paper if I'm correct?) I would want to sell some pictures and for that I best use pigment ink, so the colors stay true for a long time.
And now for the questions:
1) How long do the colors last, presuming you print them on high quality archival paper (maybe like the epson fine art cotton textured natural II) and keep them behind glass when using the normal ink?
2) Can I change to the pigment based ink for the colors? (from 114 to 113?) Would that damage the printer? I guess the bottles won't fit, but I can alway use a syringe to transfer the ink to the other bottle.

 

[Ink stained Fingers]

Sesveral ink suppliers offer pigment substitute inks for the ET-8550, you may read the recommendations for pigment ink conversion and usaage here by precisioncolors

https://precisioncolors.com/ET8550.html

General statements about the longevity of dye ink are not possible, every ink/papertype combination may deliver widely different results, and archival papers are not necessarily better. Canon and Epson always refer to one of their premium glossy photo papers. Tests show that presentation behind glass extends longevity for pigment and dye ink prints in general.

If longevity is your concern don't use 3rd party inks - information for those is scare if at all. Some of 3rd party dye inks don't fade in years but in weeks or even days. And don't believe statements of UV resistance etc by 3rd party sellers.

Results of lots of tests have been published here in several forums - use the search function here for 'longevity' or 'fading' or 'Epson 114' inks or 'Inktec' or 'Wilhelm Research' or 'Aardenburg Imaging'

 

[thebestcpu]

Here is a link to the Wilhelm Research for the Epson ET 8550:
http://www.wilhelm-research.com/eps...o_ET-8500_and_ET-8550_Printers_2024-08-09.pdf

Here is a link to the Epson P900, which is all pigment inks:
http://www.wilhelm-research.com/epson/WIR_Epson_SureColor_P700_and_P900_Printers_2021_07_23.pdf

I hope that is helpful
John Wheeler

 

[Ink stained Fingers]

P.S. - the top of Epson Ecotank ink bottles can easily unscrewed with a little bit of force which makes ink swapping - refill etc easy.