Despite the increasing interest, the implementation of alternative inks is still in its early stages. Such hesitancy is not uncommon to the sign industry. In fact, when the wide format market began evolving over 15 years ago, people were initially only using OEM media because they had a limited understanding of the products available. As the industry began to mature and become smarter and more comprehensive, people made the educated decision to move to alternative media. Similarly, the ink market is now at that point where it is evolving technologically.
虽然，很多人对替代油墨很感兴趣，但是替代油墨的全面实施还有一段很长的路要走。在标识行业里，大家犹豫不决很正常。事实上，宽幅喷绘市场在十五年前迅速发展之计，人们大多使用的是原始设备制造厂的油墨，因为当时大多数喷绘服务商对产品的了解很有限。当整个行业都成熟起来之后，喷绘越来越灵活，人们开始把注意力放在油墨上。因此，油墨市场此时也迅速发展起来，尤其是油墨生产技术。
Misconceptions Associated with Alternative Inks
人们对替代油墨的误解
Despite these advancements, many sign professionals remain hesitant to try alternative inks because of common misconceptions. The good news is that today's alternative ink options have come a long way in a short amount of time.
虽然，油墨技术发展很快。很多标识行业的专业人士依然对替代油墨有很多误解，他们对替代油墨的使用也是犹豫不决。值得高兴的是，今天的替代油墨选择在短时间内有了长足的发展。
Below is a list of some of the common misconceptions, as well as an explanation of how reputable alternative ink providers have overcome these challenges. There is an emerging class of alternative ink solutions in the market today that match the quality and performance of traditional OEM inks.
以下是人们对替代油墨的常见误解，以及信誉良好的油墨供应商客户这些问题的措施。有一个新兴的商业群体专为打印商提供油墨解决方案，这些油墨与原始设备制造厂的油墨的质量和打印效果是一样的。
Transitioning from OEM inks to alternative inks requires production down time and system flushing: While this statement is true for offshore imports or poor quality ink options, high quality, reliable brand options are now emerging. These options allow you to do what is called a "plug and play" conversion, meaning (1) you can switch the cartridges out one at a time; (2) they can run simultaneously with the OEM branded ink; (3) no downtime or flushing of any kind is required.
专业油墨供应商的油墨想要完全替代原始设备制造商的油墨还需要一段时间的过渡期，这句话同样适用于低端油墨，质量好信誉佳的高端品牌正在兴起。这么多的选择可以让你体验一下“即时即用”的感觉。这意味着：1、喷绘商只需开关墨盒一；2、他们可以与原始设备制造商并驾齐驱；3、无需冲洗，没有待机时间，保证设备的效率和产量。
There are few options available on the market for newer printers: Manufacturers of alternative ink solutions have become savvier and are up to date with the latest trends in the industry. These manufacturers stay ahead of trends by developing new ink options to meet the newest printer technology advancements.
市场上可供选择的新设备很少，油墨供应商已经变得很精明，并且能跟上行业的变化趋势，这些供应商甚至开发出一些新油墨以满足打印设备技术发展的需求，走在行业发展的最前沿。
Alternative inks cause head clogging and other problems such as streaking: While this remains true of some alternative ink, there is a growing list of experienced manufacturers that deliver thoroughly tested ink products designed to avoid such problems. These alternative ink suppliers continually conduct stringent testing to ensure comparable performance to OEM inks. Additionally as with OEM inks, proper printer maintenance is critical in eliminating common issues such as head clogging and streaking.
普通油墨会造成喷头堵塞以及诸如图像拖尾之类的质量问题；这一点对于某些质量差的替代油墨来说，确实是这样的。越来越多经验丰富的制造商会全面测试和检验他们的产品以避免此类的问题。这些专业的油墨供应商不断地进行油墨测试，确保他们的油墨产品能比的上原始设备制造商的油墨。此外，即使是原始设备制造商的油墨也需要对喷绘设备进行适当的维护，才能完全避免类似于喷头阻塞和图像拖尾之类的打印问题。
Factors to Consider When Choosing Among Ink Options
选择油墨时需要考虑的因素
For those sign industry professionals interested in the promise of alternative inks, the next logical question becomes, "How can I choose a high quality alternative ink that works for me?" It is important for users to do their research when deciding on alternative ink and to choose inks that are backed, warrantied and thoroughly color tested by the supplier. Below is a list of factors to consider when shopping for alternative inks:
部分标识行业的专业人士对那些有担保的油墨感兴趣，按照他们的逻辑下一个问题就会问“我如何选择高质量的油墨呢？”对于终端用户来说，在下订单前对油墨做适当的调查很重要，要选择那些有质量保证、检验合格、经过供应商测试的产品。以下是在选购油墨时需要考虑的因素：
Cost Savings: Inks are one of the highest priced items in terms of productivity, so even the smallest percentage of savings can accumulate significantly. When considering ink options, ask the manufacturer about expected savings and request price comparison documentation. It is useful to know what your current ink expenses are so you can estimate how much you will actually save by transitioning to alternative ink. It is also important to determine if any printer procedures will need to be changed or if the inks will work with existing printer profiles.
成本节约：油墨在生产投资中算是高价产品，因此，即使是最小的节约比例也值得我们重视。当考虑到油墨选择时，询问制造商最大的折扣是多少，并让他们提供价格比对的文档。了解你选购的产品的价位便于计算你实际可以节约的成本。同样重要的是，确定是否有任何打印机程序需要改变或者油墨是否与现有的打印机设置相符合。
Performance and Image Quality: It is critical to choose an ink solution that delivers high quality and performance to meet your customers' expectations and requirements. Select an ink manufacturer that understands the complexities of the digital inkjet printing market and has a strong reputation for delivering high quality products. It is also a good idea to ask dealers or colleagues for their experience with these products.
性能与图像质量：选择一个打印图像质量高的油墨解决方案可以满足打印客户对你的要求和希望，这一点很重要。喷绘服务商在选择油墨供应商时应该和那种了解数码喷墨印刷，并且在行业内有良好信誉的供应商合作。当然，询问经销商或者同行推荐的优秀供应商也是一个不错的方式。
Testing and Qualification to OEM Standards: Just like OEM ink suppliers, reputable alternative ink suppliers should have testing and qualification results readily available. Refer to the company's website for technical bulletins and comparative data that exhibits extensive testing, including color density, gamut and fade testing results.
测试是否达到原始设备制造商的标准：和原始设备制造商一样，信誉良好的油墨供应商应该有现成的检验报告和资格证书。可以参考他们公司网站上的技术公告和比对数据以及检验数据包括颜色密度、色阶和检验报告。
Warranty: Even if you have already decided to give alternative inks a chance, be sure to double check your printer warranty. Some printer manufacturers will only honor their printers using OEM inks, but a reputable alternative ink supplier should assume the warranty. Additionally, in instances where a printer has exceeded its warranty period, confirm that the alternative inks are backed by their own warranty. Not only do these actions protect you, but also they provide confidence that the alternative ink supplier will stand behind the integrity of their product.
质量担保：既然你已经决定尝试其他油墨供应商的油墨，你应该仔细检查一下你的喷绘设备的保修手册。有些喷绘设备的制造商明确规定使用原始设备的生产厂家的油墨，但某些信誉良好的油墨品牌是在担保范围之内的。此外，如果你的喷绘设备已经超过了保修期，那你要确保你使用的替代油墨的供应商有质量担保。这些行为不仅可以保护你的利益，而且也是油墨供应商良好信誉的表现。
ICC Profiles: No matter how promising an alternative ink solution may seem, adjusting profiles can be a very time consuming process. Try to select alternative inks that work with your existing ICC profiles to avoid any unnecessary ICC profile changes.
配置文件：无论一个油墨解决方案看起来多么完美，调整设备配置文件都是一个非常耗时的过程。所以，要选择那些适合你的喷绘设备配置的油墨，以避免不必要的配置文件的更改。
Printer Availability: Today's alternative ink providers have become savvier and are up to date with the latest trends in the printing industry. Prior to signing on to purchase an alternative ink supply, visit the company's website to view their current offerings. Make sure that the supplier introduces new ink options frequently and that they have ink solutions available for the latest printer technologies.
打印机的有效性：现在的油墨供应商非常精明，他们熟悉行业的发展趋势。在于供应商签订合同之前，浏览一下他们的官方网站，了解一下他们目前供应的产品。确定他们的产品更新换代是否及时，他们的油墨解决方案中是否有一款适应市场上最新的喷绘技术。
Usability with Other Inks: It is uncommon that all cartridges run dry at the same time therefore, it is important to determine if the alternative inks will work in tandem with your current inks. By selecting inks that can be used with OEM inks, you can avoid wasting existing ink cartridges providing flexibility and cost savings.
能都与其他油墨联合使用：一般情况下，墨盒不会同时干涸。所以，要明确你选择的油墨是否与你现在所用的油墨具有兼容性。选择那些能与原始设备制造商提供的油墨联合使用，这可以避免不必要的墨盒清洗工作以及油墨浪费带来的额外成本。
Conclusion
总结
Sign industry professionals are beginning to truly understand the ink options available in the market and the best choices for their specific application needs. Performance and quality remains critical when deciding on alternative ink options. Sign professionals can achieve desired performance results by taking the time to do the necessary research and selecting the most suitable alternative ink supplier for their needs. This can lead to significant cost savings that will ultimately translate into positive bottom line results.
标识行业的专业人士逐渐认可了市场上的油墨，也明白了如何选择最适合他们设备的油墨。性能和质量依然是选择油墨的最重要的参考标准。喷绘服务商如果愿意时间做调查，了解市面上主要的油墨的性能，在比较中一定能找到最适合供应商。合适的油墨供应商可以节省一大笔费用，最终会转化为积极的动力。
