Technical Brief

EPSON Sales Training 11/00
EPSON and EPSON Stylus are registered trademarks of Seiko Epson Corporation.
Other trademarks are the property of their respective owners.
EPSON Archival Ink Technology—EPSON MicroCrystal Encapsulation Technology
EPSON MicroCrystal Encapsulation Technology is a breakthrough technology that overcomes many of the
shortcomings of pigment inks, while maintaining the lightfast, waterfast, and stability advantages.
With this exclusive, patented technology, each pigment crystal is encapsulated in resin:
Technical Brief—EPSON Archival Inks Page 2
EPSON uses a unique resin polymer which pulls the particles
apart so that they are suspended in the solution and never
coagulate.
Because of this unique mixing method, each pigment
particle is completely encapsulated.
This technology offers the following advantages:
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1. Greater color gamut: Because each pigment particle is completely encapsulated in the resin, EPSON's
pigments are evenly distributed. With conventional pigment inks, the covering/coating of the pigments is
random and less consistent, which results in uneven distribution.
Because EPSON resin-coated pigments are evenly distributed, they produce a higher color gamut that
even rivals that of dye-based inks. For this reason, EPSON inks can print on RC glossy media, while
conventional pigments inks cannot because of their erratic distribution and placement on the paper.
Conventional Pigment Inks:
Pigments either penetrate into the crevices
of the media or lay on the surface (much
like oil paint on a canvas)
Uneven distribution results in lower color
gamut
EPSON's MicroCrystal Encapsulation Technology:
Even distribution of particles results in higher
color gamut and higher gloss for a smooth
image appearance
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Dye based ink, on the other hand, is absorbed into the media, and the even reflection of light results in a
greater color gamut and gloss as the eye perceives the full spectrum of colors (much like a watercolor painting).
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Media (Cross-Section)
Light
Dye-Based Ink:
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Color molecules are absorbed into the media
for even reflection
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Appropriate light reflection