In recent years, Thermal Inkjet (TIJ) printers have risen in popularity as a legitimate replacement technology for Continuous Inkjet (CIJ). In this post, we will explore the reasons behind the shift and introduce a new Wikoff Digital ink that gives TIJ the edge in print quality and cost.

The versatility of TIJ technology has allowed brands to expand usage into coding and marking specialized packaging, security printing (IR and UV fluorescence), and other industrial applications.

Compared to CIJ printers, TIJ technology delivers the following benefits:

• Low-cost hardware
• Small footprint
• High print resolution
• Ease of operation
• Low maintenance

A primary obstacle TIJ faced in the past versus CIJ for certain applications was the high print resolution required to produce a dark, opaque printed image on transparent materials. At times, this challenge resulted in TIJ facing a competitive disadvantage due to a higher cost per print.
In cases where technology decisions were made solely or primarily on price, CIJ was the obvious choice.

Until now.

Recently, to address TIJ’s competitive disadvantage, Wikoff Digital developed a revolutionary, patent-pending TIJ ink that delivers significantly enhanced darkness and opacity (see comparison below). This new ultra-dark solvent blank ink allows TIJ to compete more successfully against CIJ for cost sensitive applications.

Figure 1: Standard Solvent Black Ink and New Ultra-Dark Solvent Black Ink printed on plastic food packaging at comparable resolutions
Ready to take a new look at TIJ Technology? Reach out to Wikoff Digital today for more information or to order our new ultra-dark solvent black ink.