An Overview of
paper when it prints, but rather the
Inkjet Technology
Allison Ferri
Applications of inkjet printing
are also talked about, and a short
description of the latest in inkjet
technologies is given.
Inkjet printing is a non-impact
printing technology in which small
drops of ink are “jetted” through
tiny nozzles onto a substrate to
create an image. This sounds simple
enough, and compared to other
types of printing devices, an inkjet
printer is not a very complicated
machine. Most inkjet printers only
have a few moving parts, plus a
single printed circuit board (Ryberg,
Lundberg, & Johansson, 2007). The
majority of inkjet printers today
use a combination of the colors
cyan, magenta, yellow, and black to
create a limited amount of colors,
but some are now using more than
those four colors to expand the
achievable color gamut. There are
many advantages of inkjet printers:
high quality output, the ability to
print fine detail, vivid color, wide
color gamuts, quiet operation, and
ease of use. Inkjet printers are also
inexpensive and provide fast turn-
around. However, the inkjet printer
does have its weaknesses, especially
in the ink department; inkjet inks
tend to bleed, run, fade over time,
and new ink cartridges are quite
expensive. Inkjet print speeds are
also relatively slow compared to
other printing processes, and
32 • Clemson TAGA
inkjet printer does not touch the
printheads get clogged with ink
over time (Simon, 2007).
Before getting into the specifics
of inkjet printing technologies, it
is important to have a grasp on
the different parts of an inkjet
printer and how inkjet printers
function as a whole. The main
components of an inkjet printer
are the printhead assembly, ink
cartridges, the printhead motor, the
belt, and paper feed rollers. The
printhead assembly is the heart of
an inkjet printer; it has a series of
nozzles which spray the droplets
of ink onto the substrate (Simon,
2007). The ink cartridges can come
as individual black, cyan, magenta,
and yellow cartridges, or can come
as one black cartridge and one
combined “color” cartridge. The
printhead motor is responsible for
moving the printhead assembly
across the substrate. The belt simply
attaches the printhead assembly
to the motor, and paper feed
rollers control the paper through
the printer. When the printing
signals are sent from a computer
to the printer, the paper feed roller
pulls a sheet of paper into place.
The printhead motor and belt then
move the printhead assembly and
ink cartridge back and forth over
the paper. Feed rollers control the
speed of the paper as the printhead
assembly deposits ink on it. An
ink is sprayed onto the surface
with tiny nozzles that have a small
electrical charge. The amount of
ink deposited from each nozzle is
so small that it would take more
than one million droplets to
cover one square inch of paper,
but most inkjet printers can lay
down several million droplets per
second (Tyson, 2007).
Moving to the specifics of inkjet
technologies, inkjet printing can be
broken down into two main types
of technology: continuous inkjet
and drop-on-demand inkjet. Each
of these technologies can be further
broken down into two subcategories.
Under continuous technology there
is the binary deflection method and
the multiple deflection method.
Under drop-on-demand technology
there is thermal technology and
piezoelectric technology.
Continuous inkjet is the oldest
inkjet technology and is usually
used in a high speed production
line for small character printing;
this includes printing tracking
codes, dates, times, batches, and
other variable information (Simon,
2007). For continuous inkjet, a pump
forces ink at high pressures through
a nozzle in a printhead, and adds
an electrostatic charge to each
droplet (Williams, 2006).
In a binary deflection system,
the drops are either charged or
uncharged; the charged drops go
directly onto the substrate, while
the uncharged drops are deflected
into a gutter for recirculation. In a
multiple deflection system, there
are varying degrees of charge and
drops are deflected to the substrate
depending on these varying degrees
(Williams, 2006). The uncharged
drops fly straight to a gutter to be
recirculated. Continuous inkjet
usually uses solvent-based inks, but
water-based inks are also common.
Most continuous inkjet printers
are fast and can print on a wide
range of substrates. The nozzles
on the printheads on continuous
inkjet printers do not clog as
easily due to the fact that they are
always in use. Continuous inkjet
printers are also easy to use and
have proven reliability. There are
limitations to continuous inkjet;
namely, that speed is reduced
dramatically if printing anything
over .5” (Simon, 2007). The inks
are costly, and keeping the ink
viscous can be a problem because of
the device’s continuous printing
nature. Overall, continuous inkjet
is very good at what it does (small
characters) but flexibility is not a
strength of this process.
Drop-on-demand inkjet
technology is more common than
continuous inkjet, and the most
common drop-on-demand
technologies are thermal inkjet and
piezoelectric. For thermal inkjet, tiny
resistive heaters create small bubbles
of steam inside the ink, which is
usually water based (Tyson, 2007).
As these bubbles expand, they
produce pressure which causes
ink droplets to be pushed out of
the nozzle and onto the paper.
The bubble then collapses and a
vacuum is created. This vacuum
pulls more ink into the printhead
from the cartridge. This process
is repeated thousands of times per
second. Because there are so many
nozzles per printhead, small drop
sizes, fast speeds, controlled ink
placement, and reliability are
advantages (Higgins, 2007).
Problems with thermal inkjet
arise from heat build up, and
printheads can clog fairly easily.
Heat build up can also cause
noticeable color shifts on the
printed substrate due to changes
in ink properties when the inks are
heated (Higgins, 2007).
Piezoelectric technology uses
a piezo crystal in the printhead
nozzle to apply ink. The crystal
is located at the back of the ink
reservoir of each nozzle. An
electric charge is applied to the
crystal and causes the crystal
to vibrate. When the crystal
vibrates inward, ink is forced out
of the nozzle; when the crystal
vibrates out, ink is pulled back
into the reservoir to replace the
ink that was just sprayed out of
the nozzle (Tyson, 2007). Piezo
inkjet technology tends to cost
more than thermal inkjet, but it
can use a much wider range of
inks. The main reason piezo can
use a wider range of inks is that
the ink in a piezoelectric inkjet
printer does not heat up, so steam
and other vapors that can affect
the chemistry of the ink are not
a factor (Williams, 2007). The
inks can include some volatile
solvents, which allow companies
to try different inks for special
applications. Also, piezo ink tends
to have less residue build up, and
the process as a whole uses less
energy than thermal inkjet.
Although printheads may seem
like the most important part of an
inkjet printer, the key component
is actually the ink. Ink type affects
Clemson TAGA • 33

how the printer deals with different
substrates and it affects speed
capabilities. The quality of printing
is directly affected by the quality
and type of ink used. There are
three main types of inks used in
inkjet printing: water-based inks,
solvent-based inks, and UV-
curable inks.
Water-based inkjet inks, or
aqueous inkjet inks, currently
dominate the home and office
printer market. A water-based
ink’s drying method depends on
absorption, and it is often very slow.
Nevertheless, aqueous inks produce
high quality results and have a fairly
low equipment cost. Unlike solvent-
based ink, aqueous ink is limited
in the types of substrates it can be
applied to, and it produces better
results if it is used on treated
substrates (Oller, 2001). Aqueous
inkjet inks are used in digital textile
printing and are growing for indoor
graphics; they have also seen big
success in mailing (Savastano, 2006).
Solvent-based inkjet ink is the
largest sector of the three due to its
low pricing. It is a leading solution in
wide-format due to its print quality,
durability, and reduced substrate
costs. Solvent-based inks have
also seen success in bindery and
product identification (Savastano,
2006). Solvent-based inks are a
mixture of pigment and solvent,
and this mixture helps to maintain
the ink’s viscosity and assures fast
drying. It allows the ink adhere to
a variety of surfaces (Oller, 2001).
The chemical composition that
enables the ink to stick to various
glossy surfaces, however, has
environmental issues. The main
ingredients in solvent-based inks
34 • Clemson TAGA
are Volatile Organic Compounds
(VOCs), and because of this the
inks must be handled and disposed
of as hazardous substance. The
increasing environmental concern
the industry is facing for emissions
of solvents, and also the growth of
UV-curable inks will most likely
reduce solvent-based inks’ popularity.
UV technology is showing the
most growth in the inkjet market
due to productivity advantages and
resistance properties (Savastano,
2006). UV-curable inks are said
to print on a much greater variety
of substrates than water-based
and solvent-based inks, including
substrates that don’t have a special
inkjet coating layer. The UV-
curable ink gets cured right on
top of the substrate and can print
directly on many rigid and flexible
surfaces. One of the most popular
features of UV-curable inks is
that there are no VOCs. This
means that the printing process
is environmentally friendly and
it reduces exposure to hazardous
substances for workers. Using UV-
curable inkjet ink provides many
print quality benefits, such as less
bleeding between dots and increased
ink density, and also provides better
adhesion to substrates (Pianoforte,
2007). UV-curable inks have been
very popular in outdoor signage.
Inkjet printing has begun taking over
several market segments as of late,
and some think it is only a matter of
time before inkjet has applications in
many more markets. Where inkjet
is really popping up right now is in
wide-format printing, packaging, and
variable data printing.
Inkjet technology has always been
prevalent in the wide-format
market, but many advantages
are coming from recent
developments in wide-format
inkjet printers. These advantages
include lower operating costs,
better image quality on a wider
range of substrates, faster print
speeds, and improved reliability
(Witcher, 2006). New capabilities
are expanding the market, and
wide-format inkjet is now printing
architectural signage, short-run fine
art reproduction, vehicle wraps,
wallpaper, and whatever else
customers and printers can think
of (Witcher, 2006).
The packaging industry is
looking for ways to add more value
to their printed packages while
remaining cost-effective. They
want more colors, better graphics,
shorter print runs, and lower costs.
Using inkjet would cut make-
ready time, allow for shorter print
runs, reduce wastes, and reduce
costs (Slembrouk, 2007). It seems
that inkjet printing is the perfect
process for this, so why hasn’t
inkjet already come in and swept
the market? Well, there are a few
problems that need to be worked
out before inkjet can take over
packaging. First of all, print speeds
need to improve. As far as the
graphics go, it is difficult to print
a large solid area and overcome
banding and striping, so the image
needs to be designed for inkjet
printing (Slembrouk, 2007). It is
also not easy to print a spot color,
and companies want their special
spot color used for their logo.
Many think it will not be long
until inkjet has a large share of
the packaging market, but there
are still a few obstacles that need
“The Graphic Communications
industry is always on the verge
”
of great technology, and the
inkjet market is no exception.
to be overcome before inkjet
takes over.
Variable Data Printing is one
application where inkjet printing has
really been able to stand out due to
growing interest in personalization
and batch printing (Savastano, 2006).
Personalization adds value, and
doing things like installing inkjet
systems on narrow web presses
has helped companies to do just
that. Printers appear to be getting
smarter about taking advantage of
inkjet to get their marketing message
out. Personalized advertising has
shown companies increased return
rates, and many are jumping on the
VDP band-wagon and using inkjet
to get there.
The Graphic Communications
industry is always on the verge of
great technology, and the inkjet
market is no exception. As of
now, the two main hindrances
to the ultimate inkjet device are
printheads and inks, so most
of the technology research and
development is concentrated in
those two arenas.
Edgeline is a new printhead
technology developed by HP that
uses fixed printheads that span the
width of the paper passing through
the printer. This technology results
in more accurate ink-drop placement
and faster speeds. HP also says the
printheads offer improved reliability,
less maintenance, and lower operating
costs. The printheads are said to
last through two million pages and
use special ink to improve drying
time and resist smearing (Solheim,
2007). This technology launched by
HP in the spring of 2007.
Memjet is an inkjet technology
developed by Silverbrook Research
out of Australia that is said to
print at an incredible speed of 60
pages per minute. Memjet also
uses a fixed page-wide printhead.
The Memjet printheads hold
individual microchips that join
together to form a page-wide
printhead; each microchip is only
20mm in width and contains 6,400
nozzles (Solheim, 2007). Memjet
announced this technology to the
United States in March of 2007,
but there are still several patents
pending until the technology is
fully developed.
Inkjet technology has come
a long way since its inception in
the 1970s. It is clear the impact
that inkjet has on the graphic
communications industry. Inkjet
printers have the capability of
easily and inexpensively printing
high quality prints with vivid
color. Fast turnaround time is
also a huge plus of inkjet printing,
and as soon as professionals can
improve printing speeds while
maintaining quality, inkjet will be
a leading player in the graphics
industry, if not the leading player.
This technical paper noted just
how much of an impact inkjet has
in the wide format, packaging, and
variable data arenas. Soon inkjet
could be the dominant player in
packaging due to its flexibility and
short-run capability. The future of
inkjet looks bright, as long as inkjet
inks and printhead technology can
keep up to speed with demands of
the industry. *
References
Higgins, C. (2007). Pop the Hood. Is Thermal
Inkjet Technology Inside? Retrieved Oct. 21,
2007 from http://www.hp.com/
Oller, S. (Oct. 2001). Inkjet Options. American
Printer. Retrieved Oct. 29, 2007 from http://
americanprinter.com/.
Pianoforte, K. (Jan. 2007). The UV Inkjet Ink
Report. Ink World. Retrieved Oct. 29, 2007
from http://www.inkworldmagazine.com/
Ryberg, R. Lundberg, P., & Johansson, K. (2007).
Graphic Print Production. Hoboken, NJ: John
Wiley & Sons, Inc.
Savastano, D. (July 2006). The Inkjet Ink
Report. Ink World. Retrieved Oct. 14, 2007
http://www.inkworldmagazine.com/
Simon, R. (Apr. 2007). How do Inkjet Printers
Work? Retrieved on Oct. 21, 2007 from
http://www.pcnewsnow.blogspot.com/
Slembrouk, S. (2007) Challenges for Inkjet
Printing in Packaging. Retrieved Oct. 21, 2007
from http://profitthroughinnovation.com/
Solheim, S. (June 2007). Ink 2.0. Varbusiness.
Retrieved Oct. 21, 2007
http://sys.lib.clemson.edu:5553/us/lnacademic/
search/homesubmitForm.do.
Tyson, J. (2007). How Inkjet Printers Work.
Retrieved Oct. 29, 2007 from http://home.
howstuffworks.com/
Williams, C. (Jan. 2006). Inkjet Technology
Moves Beyond Paper. Physics World. Retrieved
Oct. 20, 2007 from http://physicsworld.com/
Witcher, J. (June 2006). Getting Wider.
Graphic Arts Online. Retrieved Oct. 21, 2007
from http://www.graphicartsonline.com/
Clemson TAGA • 35