How much pigment does contain the inks?

[Logo]

Hi,
do you know how much pigment (lbs/%) the pigment ink contain?
Epson.. MK/BK, LK and LLK

Thanks

 

[Ink stained Fingers]

The closest you can get are the MSDS - material safety data sheets by Epson or Canon or...listing the chemical ingredients of inks
https://epson.com/Support/sds
some info is proprietary, and some details of the info varies with by country , so you may have different MSDS for U.S. or Australia or EU or...and such listings may use different chemical code numbers by chemical listings depending on the country or region.

 

[Logo]

I´ve asked because I want to make B/W printer (MK/PK + 7 grey shades). I´ll use K3 ink, later probably HDX ink.
PK, LK1, LK, LK3, LLK, LLLK, LLLLK, LLLLLK
LK1 and LK3 will not be difficult to make..... I´ll diluate them each other ( PK+LK=LK1 and LK+LLK=LK3 ) . I only need to know the approximate ratio between PK, LK and LLK.
LLLK, LLLLK, LLLLLK....problem, becouse I can´t find the right thinner here in EU. Glossy ink is not the right choice.
(I have got a densitometer)
Epson 3880

 

[Ink stained Fingers]

oh well, the MSDS won't be accurate enough for that, but I'm sure I have seen such table with thinning ratios somewhere already. I'm using this stuff since years to dilute M anc C to LM and LC, both dye and pigment inks for various Epson printers.
https://www.octopus-office.de/shop/...solution-for-the-inside-of-printer-cartridges

P.S. Be aware that you may not get clean neutral B/W prints with this approach, diluted black inks are not neutral gray, and you need to consider the color of the paper as well changing the look of lighter grays.

 

[Logo]

I have asked Octopus exactly about this solution some days ago. I have asked if this solution good for mixing with MK, PK and LLK ink is.
Answer: >>>>>>Der Druckkopfreiniger wurde speziell für Epson entwickelt. Er kann uneingeschränkt verwendet werden und sogar ausgedruckt werden.
Die Standard Epson-Drucker arbeiten mit wasserbasierten Tinten. Auch unsere hauseigenen Tinten sind wasserbasiert und benötigen daher keinen speziellen Verdünner oder Lösungsmittel. Leider können wir Ihnen dementsprechend zu Epson keinerlei Verdünner anbieten oder empfehlen. <<<<<

.....They said this solution isn´t good to mix with other inks.

Farbenwerk offers to make inks to order. All they want to know is how much Gramm Pigment do I need on 1000 ml ink.

 

[Ink stained Fingers]

Er kann uneingeschränkt verwendet werden und sogar ausgedruckt werden.

The cleaner can be used without limitation and even be printed.
But they won't offer or recommend a thinner which does not imply the cleaner is of no use, they just don't want to get into any issues users may create or get into with Epson inks and their cleaner, it's more for their protection. I only can say that I'm using this cleaner since lots of years as a dilutant for dye and pigment inks without problems, but I didn't tell them....but I do my own profiles.
And there is a hidden business aspect that they may not like to let the customers start diluting their inks, with the risk of wrong ratios, customer complaints and additional support etc. Customers experimenting are increasing the support needs. So it is at your own risk.
Farbenwerk is offering a Clear Ink as well
https://www.farbenwerk.com/CLEAR-INK-transparent-Fluid-250ml
I didn't try this one.

 

[Logo]

Where do I get wrong/right?
1. main difference between the PK and MK inks is in the gloss optimizer.....PK (photo) has got some gloss optimizer, MK zero gloss optimizer.
2. the light inks (LK, LLK) are Photo inks.
3. LK and LLK inks have more gloss optimizer then PK black.
4. Epson 8+1 Ink printer is better for the Photo print than for the Matt print. Becouse the LLK/LK inks are Photo inks.
5. Ideal inks for matt-print have none gloss optimizer.

Perhaps I´ll make two different SW Printers. First for the photo-print and another for the Matt-print.

 

[Ink stained Fingers]

you may read this thread
https://www.printerknowledge.com/threads/making-a-b-w-ink-set-for-6-color-epson-printers.9198/
The gloss of a pigment ink is not primarily created by some gloss opt. contents but by a particular treatment of the pigments, you may read some description as 'encapsulated' , and that's where photo and matte black inks differ - matte inks are not. You could mix matte ink with a GO or do an overprint with GO and the print still does not really look glossy on glossy paper - the pigments itself are different.

 

[Ink stained Fingers]

Why would you need 2 completely different inksets for 2 printers ? - you would need 2 blacks for your inkset - one for the glossy black and another for the matte black, and depending on your printer you either let the printer switch the cartridge or you swap the black cartridge in a 6-color printer. What is the main difference between the matte and photo blacks - their black level is optimized for the resp. paper they are made for, matte ink on a matte paper gives you a better black level than a photo black on a matte paper, a matte black won't adhere well on a glossy paper, and the photo black gives you a better black level on a glossy paper, even darker than the matte black on matte paper.

 

[Logo]

I thought LKK and LK-inks were made for a photo-print...in other words they were *matt-compromise*-inks. Therefore I wanted to make an extra (matt-print) inks which would be better for matt-paper.
I have no experiance with the BW print. Actually I´m a print-handyman since 2017 and now I become interested in the printing too.

Do you think it would be wrong if I use different inks on the same printer?
e.g. I would swap PK K3-ink with the HDX-ink on the Epson 3880? Because HDX PK is darker than K3.
(I have a spectrophotometer)