Taliesyn said:
Don't we have enough problems with print heads clogging using the
three color "kool-aid" they put in cartridges?
I'm guessing inks have to be very liquidy (watery) in order to pass
safely through those really tiny nozzles they use these days. Metallic
inks would require gold or silver (or other color) particles that
would instantly clog your print head. At least that's my take on it.
-Taliesyn
And you would be correct. AFAIK, there is no liquid metallic ink. Back in
the dim and distant past, when I was about 10 and shopping for my first
colour printer (OK, second, we had a Star LC24-200C dot matrix) and we were
pursuaded by the salesdroid in PC World to purchase a Citizen Printiva 600C
(he was obviously on heavy commission). It was a thermal unit (like an Alps)
and took cassettes which lasted about three sheets and cost around £15 each.
In the back of the manual (such as it was) was an order form for their
speciality cartridges which, IIRC, came in the following: -
Metallic red
Metallic green
Metallic blue
Metallic purple
Copper
Silver
Gold
I also seem to recall that, because it was thermal, it also had a white
cassette, though I could be wrong about that.
I also seem to recall that those Xerox machines that took what my mother
used to call "wine gums" of solid ink, could also print metallic.
But no, there is no liquid metallic ink.