Knowledge Base

Producing quality rich blacks and image details with inkjet can become a scary task. Learn how to control black details (shadows) by understanding the ink/paper/profile combinations that are spooking your results. Happy Halloween.

Have you ever wondered why it is difficult to find 3rd party ink suppliers for production inkjet devices? Mark Bale discusses the pros and cons of OEM supplied inkjet inks versus 3rd party and the key questions to ask if considering working with 3rd-party ink developers.

Before signing your inkjet deal, get the specs for power, ceiling height, load-bearing, square footage, humidity and more. You may find that changes need to be made to your environment that add cost and delay installation. Measure (at least) twice before you buy.

If you really want to know about the ins and outs of a new technology, don’t just talk to the sales and marketing people, talk to someone who has to keep the device up and running or fix it when it breaks. Meet Brian Gallipeau, Vice President, Field Service with Canon Solutions Americas.

Mark Hunt of Standard Finishing talks about the many ways that inkjet printing poses challenges for finishing vendors and how those challenges can be overcome. Over drying, not dry enough, curl and static are just a few of the fun facts of high-speed inkjet printing.

Mark Bale provides an overview of the important differences in inkjet ink characteristics that come from various components such as resins, solvents, humectants and surfactants. With an understanding of these components and how OEMs use them to differentiate their inks, you’ll be better informed next time you have a conversation with your supplier.

Jennifer Eberle of Highnote discusses their recent conversion from toner to sheet-fed inkjet. Highnote produces a wide range of products including direct mail, brand collateral and signage. She has a great story to tell about how quickly the system was up and running, their ability to immediately convert volume to the device – they had added a second shift within the first few months – and the potential they see for moving into new markets. Spoiler alert, Jennifer is a big fan of Canon and the VarioStream 1300.

Inkjet Tip of the Week: Understand Total Cost of Paper to compare TCO TCP=Cost per carton weight (delivered) + cost of priming or spot treatment + excess ink usage+ excess drying energy. Papers not formulated for inkjet often use more ink and require additional drying energy. Measure TCP to fully understand TCO – every machine/ink/paper combination is different.

Overview and analysis of the RISO T2 Twin-Engine Cut Sheet printer scheduled for controlled release later this year with 10 units currently available in the U.S. and general availability in January 2019. Comparison to VarioStream i300 and Delphax elan 500 sheet fed devices.

Steve Welkley discusses the approach that Xerox has taken to help customers utilize and optimize the capacity of their production inkjet devices and grow inkjet pages.

Ed Jansen discusses customer requirements, professional services, software and support needs of inkjet installations. The goal? “Repeatable results, fewest possible human touches and operational efficiency.” Sponsored content.

In this video Elizabeth Gooding shows the event magazine developed by WhatTheyThink and Printing News and the trend toward inkjet compatibility with offset grades.

Mark Bale provides a deep dive into the differences in the approach to colorant carrier in the main categories of inkjet ink: aqueous, oil, hot-melt and UV curable. Ink chemistry matters and different approaches are better suited to specific applications.

Karen Weil, Director of Procurement for IWCO Direct, shares her impressions of Inkjet Insight’s market research on paper supply and her approach to securing paper for her client’s projects.

Inkjet Insight will be all over PRINT 18. On Monday October 1, at 12:00 authors Elizabeth Gooding and Mary Schilling will have a book signing for the release of the

First in a new series by Mark Bale discussing the topic of inks. This post explains the chemistry and colorant options available in the production print market. Our aim is to give a non-exhaustive insight in to material differences and how they impact print quality and color.

John Seymour shares a humorous post on the accomplishments of Albert Munsell and his contributions to the field of color management. Provides an overview of the leading sources of color management theory and an approachable way to understand three-dimensional color space.

Guy Broadhurst, Vice President Technology and Client Solutions with Canon Solutions Americas provides an OEM and device-independent discussion of trade-offs roll-fed and sheet-fed inkjet options.

Highlights from the latest Smithers Pira report: The Future of Inkjet Printing to 2023 project that the value of the global inkjet market will rise at 9.4% over the next five years. As the global print market transforms, shifts in buyer demands—short runs, versioned and personalized products—and higher quality are aligning with the capabilities of inkjet. This is making it a key focus for technology developers. This analysis shows that inkjet will grow by deepening its penetration into existing markets and exploiting new emergent market opportunities through 2023.

Managing your workflow resources, understanding potential bottlenecks and the corresponding job attributes that will trigger them is essential to meeting SLA performance expectations in an inkjet environment. Tim Cooper of NCP Solutions, an OSG Company, provides expert insight on identifying constraints and measuring for success.