100 Questions

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS Vol. 1

• What is an inkjet printer? • Inkjet printer types, fundamentals, structure, etc…

INKJET PRINTERS
INDEX
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

Vol. 1
Q01 What is an inkjet printer?

Q02 What are the types of inkjet printers?

Q03 What are the differences between industrial and office printers?

Q04 What is the continuous type?

Q05 What is the on-demand type?

Q06 What are the printing fundamentals of inkjet printers?

Q07 What kind of internal structure does an inkjet printer have?

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Q01 What is an inkjet printer?
An inkjet printer prints text, barcodes, and graphics on a target by discharging ink particles.
These printers do not require the same mechanical devices required in copiers and laser
Answer printers, which utilize offset printing and heat fusing. The ink particles in inkjet printers are
discharged using a non-contact method, so the target does not need to be flat as it does for
printing presses.

Q02 What are the types of inkjet printers?

Inkjet printers are broadly categorized into two types: continuous and on-demand.
On-demand types are further separated into piezoelectric, thermal, and valve types.
Answer
BASI C C AT EG O RI ES

Inkjet printers

Continuous types On-demand types (drop-on-demand)

Piezoelectric
Valve types Thermal types
types

Industrial Office

3
Q03 What are the differences between industrial and office printers?
Inkjet printers are separated into office printers, which are typically connected to a computer
in the home or office, and industrial printers, which are used on factory production lines. The
Answer differences are...

Office inkjet printers INDUSTRIAL INK JET PRINTER ADVANTAGES

These printers are available for many applications such
Prints on a variety of materials
as photo printers, office printers, and printers for large
These printers can print on many types of
posters. They are primarily on demand types available
materials including paper, plastics, and
in piezoelectric and thermal. metals.

Fast printing possible with quick-drying ink

Industrial inkjet printers
Industrial printers must print on many types of materials
including not only paper, but packaging films, cans, and
plastic bottles. Since they print on products moving on a
production line, the ink is designed to be quick drying.
These printers are primarily continuous types, though
on-demand types are also used for printing large
characters on cardboard boxes and other materials.
With a drying time of around one second,
prints adhere to surfaces quickly and are not
easily removed.
Capable of printing without moving the head
back and forth
The printer can work in several configurations.
It is designed to stay fixed on production lines
of any speed, or move in traversing head
applications.

Q04 What is the continuous type?

This type of printer shoots ink particles that are continuously discharged from the nozzle. An
electrostatic charge redirects the particles with deflecting electrodes, shooting them onto the
Answer printing surface.

Electrostatic Deflecting
Ink particles that were not redirected by the deflecting Nozzle electrode electrode
electrodes are collected, returned to the ink tank, and reused.
This is called the continuous type because ink is being
continuously discharged at all times, even when not printing.
This is the primary type for industrial inkjet printers.
Gutter
Pump

Main Tank

ADVANTAGES

• Ink is discharged at high pressure, so highly viscous ink can be used

• Ink is discharged continuously, so quick-drying ink can be used

DISADVANTAGES

• The mechanical devices and components tend to be large, so it is difficult to make small printers
* Not suitable for office printers

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Q05 What is the on-demand type?
This type discharges the amount of ink particles necessary for printing. The printer’s
discharge holes (nozzles) are arranged vertically, and the ink particles necessary for printing
Answer are instantly discharged from the nozzles and blown onto the target. The piezoelectric,
thermal, and valve types apply pressure to the ink particles to discharge them.

Piezoelectric type (office/industrial) Voltage is

ink
applied
This type discharges ink particles using a piezoelectric element that changes its particles

volume when voltage is applied. This element is attached to the unit that has been change

filled with ink. The change in volume is used to apply pressure causing the ink
particles to be discharged from the nozzle.
Ink
piezoelectric element
ADVANTAGES

• Controlled by voltage, so the discharged volume of ink can be precisely controlled

• No heat is applied, so the usage environment is not affected and durability is high

DISADVANTAGES

• A piezoelectric element is required for each nozzle, so the structure tends to become complicated
• If air bubbles get mixed in the ink, the nozzles clog easily

Thermal (valve) type (office/industrial) Heat Ink

particles
This type discharges ink particles by creating an air bubble in an ink-filled unit
with the heat from an attached heater.

Ink
Heater Creates an air bubble
ADVANTAGES

• Relatively simple structure keeps the printer small

• Easy to increase the printing resolution

DISADVANTAGES

• Heat deterioration of the ink occurs easily • Service life of the head is short
• Moisture evaporates from the nozzles, so the nozzles clog easily due to drying out

Valve type (industrial)

Solenoid
This type discharges ink particles by opening and closing the cover of the nozzle Pressurized
hole with a solenoid. The valve is opened and closed to discharge pressurized ink ink

from the nozzle.

Valve
ADVANTAGES

• Ink is pressurized and discharged, so the distance to the target can vary

DISADVANTAGES

• Ink particles are large, so print quality tends to be worse

5
Q06 What are the printing fundamentals of inkjet printers?

Answer Pressurized ink is supplied to the print head from

the controller.

Ink is fed to the nozzle which has the piezoelectric

oscillator and discharge hole.

The ink is discharged while being oscillated

by the piezoelectric oscillator, and it is
simultaneously given a negative electrostatic
charge. The ink is formed into an ink column, but
when saturated with the negative charge, the ink
becomes particles, and those particles separate
from the ink column.

The electrostatic detection sensor monitors the ink

particles to ensure they receive the appropriate
electrostatic charge. This prevents malfunction.

The ink particles that fly from the nozzle pass

between two deflecting electrodes where an
electrical field is generated by a voltage of around
7000 V. At this time, a bending force acts on
the ink particles according to their electrostatic
charge to change the direction they fly in.
Together with this, the target or print head is
moved in the vertical direction to print by creating
the shapes of text and numbers.

Ink not used for printing is collected in a pipe

called the gutter and reused.

6
Q07 What kind of internal structure does an inkjet printer have?
The image below shows the internal path and circulation principle of ink in a typical industrial
inkjet printer.
Answer CI RCU L AT I O N PAT H

5 Nozzle 6 Electrostatic 8 Deflecting electrode plates

electrode plates

Head 9 Gutter

4 Piezoelectric element

7 Electrostatic sensor
3 Pressure
reducing valve

Controller 10 Pump

Solvent tank Inktank

2 Pump 1 Main tank

1 Main tank 7 Electrostatic sensor

Stores the ink used for printing. The ink collected from the Monitors if the ink particles are having the appropriate
gutter is also returned to here. electrostatic charge assigned to them.

2 Pump 8 Deflecting electrode plates

Feeds the ink in the main tank to the head while Creates a magnetic field between the electrode plates, so
pressurizing it. the ink particles redirect according to the electrostatic charge
and fall on the printing target.

3 Pressure reducing valve

Adjusts the ink pressure.
9 Gutter
Collects ink that is not used for printing.

4 Piezoelectric element
10 Pump
Oscillates the ink column discharged from the nozzle to
create particles. Collects the ink in the gutter and feeds it to the main tank.

5 Nozzle 1 Main tank

Discharges the ink. Repeats the circulation of ink.

Solvent tank
Supplies solvent to control viscosity when the ink in the main tank
6 Electrostatic electrode plates becomes thick.

Applies a negative charge to the ink particles created from

Ink tank
the ink column.
Supplies ink when the main tank is empty and when the ink has
become thin.

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