Ink owl fade resistant

adrianCuba

Newbie to Printing
Joined
Aug 18, 2022
Messages
4
Reaction score
5
Points
8
Printer Model
Epson L1800
Hello, I am thinking of buying Ink owl brand ink based on dyes (Dye ink) because it promises to be resistant to discoloration, does anyone have experience with the use of this ink? And how resistant can it be, I would settle for exposed without direct sunlight but without protection, photographic prints will last at least up to 3 years.

He left the ink link below and thanks in advance.

https://www.inkowl.com/inkjet/ink-r...0ml-bulk-kit-for-epson-claria-printers/P1311/
 

Ink stained Fingers

Printer VIP
Platinum Printer Member
Joined
Dec 27, 2014
Messages
5,852
Reaction score
6,981
Points
363
Location
Germany
Printer Model
L805, WF2010, ET8550
I have done a range of fade tests with a wide variety of dye inks, a claim of 'UV resistance' is not substantiated by any tests or references, and there is no technical definition of UV resistance existing.

There are no 3rd party inks which meet the performance of OEM inks in regards of fade resistance in direct comparison - whether it's Epson or Canon.
I have tested an InkOwl ink as an Epson Claria substitute about 5 years ago - it is not meeting any expecations for an 'Uv resistant' ink at all.

The bottled 673 inks for the L1800 are better but not as good as the Epson Claria inks which you can get in bottles, they are supplied for the Epson ET8850 - the Epson 114 inks in Europe - numbers may be different in other regions.
The 114 inks are only available as CMYK , no light inks, but you easily can dilute the C and M inks with a clear ink
like this one - 2 parts clear ink + 1 part Epson ink

https://www.octoink.co.uk/products/Ink-Base-Component-%2d-Image-Specialists.html

I only can recommend to stay with the Epson inks, 3rd party inks will fade (much) faster, and I do not consider Epson ink that expensive with the advantage of a much better fade performance.
 

The Hat

Printer VIP
Platinum Printer Member
Joined
Jan 18, 2010
Messages
15,623
Reaction score
8,695
Points
453
Location
Residing in Wicklow Ireland
Printer Model
Canon/3D, CR-10, CR-10S, KP-3
He left the ink link below and thanks in advance.
There are many posts here dealing with ink fading, so if you care to indulge, you’ll get our best information and advice on that very subject..

Despite Ink owl brands promise not to fade… All 3rd party ink suppliers say that.. but we know different.. There’s no such thing as a Free lunch..
 

adrianCuba

Newbie to Printing
Joined
Aug 18, 2022
Messages
4
Reaction score
5
Points
8
Printer Model
Epson L1800
I have done a range of fade tests with a wide variety of dye inks, a claim of 'UV resistance' is not substantiated by any tests or references, and there is no technical definition of UV resistance existing.

There are no 3rd party inks which meet the performance of OEM inks in regards of fade resistance in direct comparison - whether it's Epson or Canon.
I have tested an InkOwl ink as an Epson Claria substitute about 5 years ago - it is not meeting any expecations for an 'Uv resistant' ink at all.

The bottled 673 inks for the L1800 are better but not as good as the Epson Claria inks which you can get in bottles, they are supplied for the Epson ET8850 - the Epson 114 inks in Europe - numbers may be different in other regions.
The 114 inks are only available as CMYK , no light inks, but you easily can dilute the C and M inks with a clear ink
like this one - 2 parts clear ink + 1 part Epson ink

https://www.octoink.co.uk/products/Ink-Base-Component-%2d-Image-Specialists.html

I only can recommend to stay with the Epson inks, 3rd party inks will fade (much) faster, and I do not consider Epson ink that expensive with the advantage of a much better fade performance.
Thanks you for your experience, @Ink stained Fingers, finaly Epson is the better option for fade resistance
 

adrianCuba

Newbie to Printing
Joined
Aug 18, 2022
Messages
4
Reaction score
5
Points
8
Printer Model
Epson L1800
Thamk
There are many posts here dealing with ink fading, so if you care to indulge, you’ll get our best information and advice on that very subject..

Despite Ink owl brands promise not to fade… All 3rd party ink suppliers say that.. but we know different.. There’s no such thing as a Free lunch.
Thanks, nothing better said (There’s no such thing as a Free lunch)
 

adrianCuba

Newbie to Printing
Joined
Aug 18, 2022
Messages
4
Reaction score
5
Points
8
Printer Model
Epson L1800
Hello colleagues, after analyzing several cost-benefit inks, OEM dye-based inks such as Claria are not feasible for my work, I have seen third-party dye-based inks such as InkPot coming from Canada as well as the aforementioned InkOwl, in So I need a NON-OEM ink that is as resistant as possible to UV rays inside a room, not exposed to direct sunlight, I am in the US, what would be your recommendation in the Region?
 

The Hat

Printer VIP
Platinum Printer Member
Joined
Jan 18, 2010
Messages
15,623
Reaction score
8,695
Points
453
Location
Residing in Wicklow Ireland
Printer Model
Canon/3D, CR-10, CR-10S, KP-3

Ink stained Fingers

Printer VIP
Platinum Printer Member
Joined
Dec 27, 2014
Messages
5,852
Reaction score
6,981
Points
363
Location
Germany
Printer Model
L805, WF2010, ET8550
@adrianCuba - you are looking for the impossible - 3rd party ink suppliers don't submit their inks to any tests to make them a kind of comparable and to rank and rate them along with their pricing. WIR - WilhelmResearch is active as a test institute for fading tests paid by the industry - HP, Canon, Epson . This gives you a pretty good view of OEM materials - inks and papers. WIR did a few tests of non-OEM dye inks on their own long time ago, several of such tests were published by computer magazines

http://www.wilhelm-research.com/dpn/dpn.html

is one of a few reports.

OEM ink - in this case HP - runs at 73 years of display rating based on the WIR definition, and all 3rd party inks run much lower - even down to 0.1 years which just makes 0.13% performance of the OEM ink, that's ink you can see fading from day to day - it can be that bad. And the situation since this test about 15 years go has not changed that much - 3rd party ink suppliers are not able (or willing) to inform you how their products would rate in such comparative test.

So you are effectively left alone - if you think you need to dive deeper into fading tests you can do them on your own as I and a few other forum members have done over the last years. Let me conclude with @The Hat 's statement

There’s no such thing as a Free lunch..
 
Last edited:
Top