Epson's bottled inks

[Ink stained Fingers]

Epson is expanding the range of printers which use bottled inks - like the Ecotank printers in the desktop range. Epson is offering a range of 4 color larger format printers like the SC T3100 or T2100 as an entry level 24" printer, they run with pigment inks and are targeted for architectural/technical drawings and ad posters. These printers use cartridges between 28 ml to 80ml (black).
Epson is expanding this printer range with the T3100X model which is the T3100 running with ink tanks and related benefits - e.g. use of other inks - much lower ink pricing than the ink in cartridges.
This T3100X printer uses a pigment black and CMY dye inks T49H in 140ml bottles, priced slightly higher than the Ecotank inks, and there is no T49H dye black ink. The T3100X printer is priced significantly higher than the correspoding T3100 - Epson's typical method as well with the ET...and L... series printers. This new T49H ink set adds to the already wide range of Epson bottled inks - 664, 106, and more as dye inks or 113 as pigment inks.
Epson does not make any promises in regards to the fading performance of this new dye ink - a reason to start a test - in some time

 

[Ink stained Fingers]

I did a quick fading test of these T49H dye inks for this T3100X ecotank 24" printer over the last 2 weeks, the C and M inks fade slightly faster than the 106 inks I used for comparison in the same run, these inks come in 140ml bottles but don't offer a price benefit over the 106 inks at this time. Prices may drop when this printer becomes more popular. The black ink is pigmented which I didn't test, and not the yellow dye either.

 

[DonC]

Can you give quick ranking of how the Epson bottled dye inks perform in terms of fading? Also, Do you know of any regional differences between equivalent model inks (like the 106 and 512 or the 673x and 673x20)

 

[Ink stained Fingers]

I don't have access for out of range inks from U.S. or India or elsewhere, and some other inks are just gray imports from Eastern EU countries.
The 106 inks of the ET7750 are the best, the inks for the L805, L1800 T673 are somewhat weaker but still better than most other inks , as well inks like the 664 inks for the lower end ET-models. These 664 inks are no better than lots of 3rd party inks. The 113 inks of the ET5850 are pigment inks and are not to compare with the dye inks.
These 113 inks are a bottled substitute for Durabrite inks used in lots of workforce WF-models and could be used for refill there.

 

[gabrielgg]

I don't have access for out of range inks from U.S. or India or elsewhere, and some other inks are just gray imports from Eastern EU countries.
The 106 inks of the ET7750 are the best, the inks for the L805, L1800 T673 are somewhat weaker but still better than most other inks , as well inks like the 664 inks for the lower end ET-models. These 664 inks are no better than lots of 3rd party inks. The 113 inks of the ET5850 are pigment inks and are not to compare with the dye inks.
These 113 inks are a bottled substitute for Durabrite inks used in lots of workforce WF-models and could be used for refill there.

Hi, ink stained fingers!!

You know how to answer which ink has greater resistance to fading, T49h or T673?



I know that the best Epson bottled ink in the fade resistant category is t106 (t512 America), both because you mention it here on the forum and also because this is the only bottled Epson ink that the official Epson website mentions the term “fade resistant” on the printer page.

ALTHOUGH!! It is not available in South America.

I have two options available for my purposes ...

 

[Ink stained Fingers]

You know how to answer which ink has greater resistance to fading, T49h or T673?

I did a rather quick test with the T49H inks vs. the 106 inks, not the 673 inks at that time, I don't have all inks available at all times, I use them up after such test. I regret that I cannot tell you which of the 673 or T49H inks give you a better fading performance. The ads and product description for the T3110x/3170x don't make any promise for the long term stability - some wording like ' stable for generations to come - 100+ years in an album ' or similar is not used.

 

[Javier Evan]

I did a rather quick test with the T49H inks vs. the 106 inks, not the 673 inks at that time, I don't have all inks available at all times, I use them up after such test. I regret that I cannot tell you which of the 673 or T49H inks give you a better fading performance. The ads and product description for the T3110x/3170x don't make any promise for the long term stability - some wording like ' stable for generations to come - 100+ years in an album ' or similar is not used.

Hi! I´m still using the original 673 inks that came with my L1800... so, I can print some files that you send me on glossy paper and place them in the condition that you´ll tell me for fade comparison with your 106 inks... It´s just an idea.

 

[Ink stained Fingers]

and place them in the condition that you´ll tell me for fade comparison with your 106 inks..

that won't work, as along as we cannot measure the environmental parameters in detail like the accumulated hours of sun exposure and ozone and other agents - humidity may accelerate the fading process etc such test cannot deliver the expected results. I'm always running a comparative test - I'm testing another ink - or several against the 106 ink - at the same time - under the same sun - in the same ozone etc so the results are always relative, and I'm always cutting the ink patches in half and keep one half of them in the dark as reference to compare to when I measure the lightness changes - exposed vs. unexposed. And I'm typically doing these tests on a few different photo papers which have as well a significant influence on the speed of fading. So some of my tests go into more detail - stretch over a longer period - use more different papers etc, and another test is a rather quick comparison until a trend becomes visible.

 

[roditch]

Hi Thanks for all your help. I cannot buy Epson 114/ 552 inks for the Epson ET-8550 where I live can you suggest another archival-ish ink that is readily available like T673 with a uv spray many thanks I have been searching for months

Roditch

I did a rather quick test with the T49H inks vs. the 106 inks, not the 673 inks at that time, I don't have all inks available at all times, I use them up after such test. I regret that I cannot tell you which of the 673 or T49H inks give you a better fading performance. The ads and product description for the T3110x/3170x don't make any promise for the long term stability - some wording like ' stable for generations to come - 100+ years in an album ' or similar is not used

 

[Ink stained Fingers]

The T673 ink of the L1800 is somewhat better than Epson inks like 664 or 102 but not as good as the ET8550/114 or 106 inks in regards to fading. Spraying provides some additional protection but not as much as you may expect if it is called 'UV protection spray', you could use as well hairspray but you need some exercise for a smooth application. And you may look for Canon inks GI-53 of the G550/650 Megatank printer - (names may vary in different business regions - like G620 printer - GI23 inks)