Thermal inkjet is a reliable and low-cost solution for the coding and marking of a range of packaging types. However, you could potentially cut your operating costs further by following these tips:
1. Lower print resolution
Although thermal Inkjet printers have the capability to print at a very high resolution of 600dpi, this is not always necessary to achieve the desired result. While barcodes and data matrix codes are required to be high resolution, a lower dot density is more than sufficient for many applications. The lower the resolution, the lower the ink consumption.
2. Choose a different font
By changing the typeface you use, you could potentially save up to 75%. Serif fonts and spacious typefaces can use more ink than necessary. If looking to save on ink, opt for sans-serifs, light font weights or ‘ecofonts’.
3. Completely empty ink cartridges
As unplanned breaks in production can cost a lot of money, ink cartridges are often changed during scheduled downtime, meaning that the cartridges are not always utilised before they are discarded.
We have developed a solution for this problem: A non-stop printhead. This feature operates two synchronised printheads automatically, allowing for a change of cartridge during production.
4. Use original ink cartridges
Ink cartridges may seem cheaper if bought from a third party. However, there is a risk that the savings will be at the expense of print quality. In the worst-case scenario, non-approved inks could lead to faults occurring with the printing system. In addition, these inks are not usually as productive as the original products.
5. Protect the printheads
If printheads are left to dry out or become clogged up with dust the result will be a poor print quality. This usually occurs where an ink cartridge is left exposed and idle for an extended period of time. This can be easily prevented by covering the ink cartridges when they are not in use. We can offer an effective solution with our shutter printhead – an industry grade self-sealing printhead. Other ideal solutions are inkjet printers with IP code 65 such as our integra One TIJ printer or our integra Ultimate printhead.
6. Central ink supply
A central ink supply is an intelligent storage system that reports the ink level of the cartridges to the system in real time. These can then be refilled automatically during production. If you’re printing high volumes, a central ink supply system may be worthwhile.
For our range of Markoprint thermal inkjet printers we can offer a bulk ink system. It’s especially ideal for quick-dry or solvent-based HP inks. Because the system holds up to 400ml of ink, it reduces the number of cartridge changes required, lowering long-term operating costs.
