Printing Innovation Asia Issue 7 2020
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Expanded Media Choic By: Gianluigi Rankin, Director Product Management at Memjet
Adoption of inkjet printing solutions continues to grow in print markets around the world. Print providers embrace inkjet technology because it gives them an affordable way to deliver short runs of the high-quality, customized print products their customers demand. As more providers embrace inkjet printing, many have been frustrated to discover that their choice of substrates is more limited – and often more expensive – than the cost of substrates used in their analog printing processes.
several critical advantages to users – they are lightfast, durable, and optimized for long printhead life. Because these inks contain a lot of water, they are also safer for people, products, and the environment.
As a leader in the development of inkjet printing technology, Memjet is investing in initiatives that expand the range and versatility of substrates used in inkjet printing while reducing the cost.
During the printing process, the water in aqueous ink can be removed in 2 ways. Either a porous surface or coating is used to absorb the water and allow it to slowly evaporate over time without impacting the print, or the colorants need to be immobilized as soon as they hit the surface of the print substrate and dryers are then used for rapid evaporation of the water.
Expanding Substrates for Growing Markets Once a provider makes a move to inkjet, it is essential to understand the range of substrates available to them – and how these substrates differ from the choices they have with an analog solution. Their knowledge must start with inks. Memjet’s aqueous pigment inks offer
Currently, printers using inkjet printing solutions have access to three categories for paper-based substrates to choose from: Uncoated offset/bond/plain paper Because these papers are porous, they are printable with inkjet inks. However,
the colors are generally not very vibrant, and the print quality not as sharp. Inkjet treated paper These papers are similar to an uncoated offset paper but have been treated to boost the vibrancy of the prints by keeping the colorants/pigments close to the surface of the substrate. Inkjet coated paper An inkjet coating is generally applied to the paper by the paper mill. The inkjet coating allows for the absorption of the ink vehicle, and similar to offset coated paper it provides the paper with the intended look and feel. Film-based media is not porous, so the only option is an inkjet coated film. Understanding Your Substrate Options Inkjet treated and coated substrates are more expensive than substrates optimized for flexo or offset printing. This higher price is due to the cost of the treatments or coatings that are applied.
