by Melissa Donovan
Enhancements in speed, quality, and cost efficiency are apparent in the newest cutsheet inkjet technologies. Driving these updates is the constant advancement of ink sets—water-, oil-, and UV-based—found in the devices.
Above: Landa Nanographic Printing achieves an array of colors and sharp details, ideal for a variety of cutsheet applications.
Each ink type is influential in yielding wider color gamuts, consistency across multiple runs of a single print, and most importantly expanding the range of materials compatible with each technology.
Relevant Advancements
New ink formulations as well as enhancements to current configurations fuel cutsheet inkjet’s growth.
Michael Poulin, senior product manager – inkjet press solutions, FUJIFILM North America Corporation, Graphic Communications Division, lists enhanced print quality, durability, and environmental impact as focuses for recent advancements in cutsheet inkjet technology.
The introduction of 1,200 dpi printheads contributes to less white area behind ink dots, comments Jane Nerf, varioPRINT iX 2100/3200 and varioPRESS iV7 product manager, product strategy marketing, Canon U.S.A., Inc. For Canon, this is further enforced by the post fixation InkFusion step that creates an ink film and increases dot gain for improved print quality and reduced ink usage.
“The introduction of nano-pigment technology, such as in water-based nano inks, allows for smaller pigment particles, which result in higher color density and more vibrant prints. Advances in polymeric resins in ink formulations improve adhesion and resistance to smudging and scratching. Eco-friendly developments focus on reducing volatile organic compound (VOC) emissions and enhancing biodegradability,” continues Poulin.
Amir Shalev, market development director, Landa Digital Printing, believes that nano technology is a pivotal advancement in the space, specifically Landa’s NanoInk. “This technology was developed to answer the growing need for highly efficient printing processes that maintain the environmental benefits of water-based inks, while allowing for cost-effective digital production at longer run lengths.”
Bret Riecke, VP industrial print solutions, Konica Minolta, notes that ink sets’ color and substrate gamuts are evolving all of the time. “Quality and consistency are becoming the benchmarks of inkjet systems. Cost and productivity also make inkjet more profitable for customers.”
Color gamut boosts are common place at RISO. “In my 11 years at this company, they have reformulated to boost the color gamut on their cyan, magenta, and yellow inks; created a truer, richer black ink; and introduced a fifth gray ink for improved shading, halftones, and more accurate skin tones. We take color reproduction very seriously,” states Jesse Heindl, marketing manager, RISO, Inc.
The introduction of direct-to-substrate ink sets make expanding into non-porous substrates possible, according to Dustin Graupman, senior director inkjet division, Kyocera Document Solutions America, Inc. “These new formulations eliminate the need for pre- or post-treatment processes.”
“Currently, these advancements are primarily aimed at improving performance on gloss and matte coated papers, making high-quality inkjet printing more versatile and efficient. However, the technology is rapidly evolving to target synthetic substrates, which are commonly used in packaging applications. This expansion broadens the range of materials that can be printed while maintaining high-quality output and production efficiency,” shares Graupman.
Ink Options
Sheet-fed inkjet devices benefit not only from enhancements in ink sets but from the variety of compatible options. Depending on the manufacturer and device, a print provider may have the option to use water, oil, or UV ink.
Water-Based Cutsheet
There are number of advantages to using water-based inks for cutsheet inkjet.
Nerf points to environmental friendliness, low odor, and good print quality as some advantages of Canon’s proprietary polymer pigment water-based iX inks.
Graupman observes that water-based ink has received the most investment from OEMs, making it the dominant technology in production inkjet printing. “It combines excellent resolution versatility, allowing for both low- and high-resolution printing, with a low environmental impact, which is why so many OEMs leverage it in their devices.”
According to Poulin, water-based inks tend to be the least expensive and more environmentally friendly compared to oil- or UV-based ink. They produce less VOCs, which is great for reducing harmful emissions. Additionally, water-based inks provide excellent color vibrancy and sharpness. They also generally have better adhesion to a wide variety of substrates, offering versatility for different types of media.”
Riecke says water-based inks are generally easier to jet, making them suitable for high-speed printing. They penetrate the paper well, which can enhance color fidelity and print quality. “Additionally, they are typically less expensive per liter compared to other ink types, offering vibrant and accurate color reproduction.”
Mark Schlimme, VP marketing, SCREEN Americas, shares that water-based inks like the SCREEN Truepress SC offer a wide color gamut. And while not all water-based inks offer this, SCREEN Truepress SC inks eliminate the need for digital grade paper or preprint priming due to its unique adhesion technology. “Being able to print directly onto the paper preserves the stock’s texture.”
Water-based ink sets include standard water-based technology and also nano-based technology, which expands water-based inks’ advantages further. Multiple vendors offer nano-technology. Read more about this in the accompanying sidebar, Nano Technology.
With water-based inks providing environmental benefits, Shalev expands on this and states that water-based ink sets like Landa’s NanoInk are “free from the solvents and high-energy curing requirements associated with UV and solvent-based inks. With lower ink consumption and minimal waste, it provides a sustainable printing solution that meets modern regulatory and corporate environmental standards.”
Limitations of water-based ink mainly involve the possibility of ink drying in the printheads, which leads to clogging and effects the frequency of maintenance. “Regular purging, capping, and flushing are necessary to keep the printheads in good condition,” advises Riecke.
Also, media printed with water-based ink must undergo proper drying, which presents challenges. “Drying the printed sheets consumes more energy, which can increase operational costs. The drying process can also cause paper warping or other issues,” admits Riecke.
UV-Based Cutsheet
When it comes to UV inks, Lance Martin, VP product marketing, Komori America, believes that a standout advantage is that the ink works with nearly any substrate without pre-coating, and this including many synthetics and specialty substrates that are favored for high-value applications.
“The ink doesn’t distort sheets of media like a water-based ink, making it great for perfecting and controlling register. Furthermore, the ink instantly becomes durable when cured, lending itself as very appealing for products like direct mail that undergo machine processes and material handling; no post-press coating is required,” adds Martin.
Other benefits of UV ink are that it “produces highly durable prints that are resistant to fading and wear, and offer a broader range of colors, enhancing print quality. UV inks are also recyclable,” says Riecke.
UV inks do present their own set of challenges. For example, Riecke admits that they tend to be more expensive per liter and not all printheads can jet UV inks. Further, on coated stocks UV inks can create a raised texture that may not be desirable for all applications.
“UV inks may also not be suitable for sensitive applications such as food packaging or those where children may interact with the printed material—such as toy package printing,” adds Shalev.
Oil-Based Cutsheet
Oil-based ink eliminates heat from the printing process since there is no need to remove excess water from the substrate like water-based ink.
The trickle down effect of this translates to a host of advantages, “this means that RISO devices can be more compact, as there are no dryers or de-curlers involved, leading to a smaller footprint and less energy consumption. It also enhances the longevity of our devices, as heatless imaging preserves parts and components that would otherwise breakdown in the heat,” shares Heindl.
A well-known benefit of oil-based inks is that they adhere easily to a wide range of substrates, including curated stocks, without the need for a pretreatment. “They also reduce paper distortion due to lower water content,” says Shalev.
Graupman adds that oil-based inks are also known for low power consumption and durability when printing on certain applications.
However, Shalev points out that drawbacks of oil-based inks include the tendency to dry slower than water-based alternatives and “may not achieve the same high-end color reproduction needed for premium print applications.”
Oil-based ink may include higher costs and lower resolution, and when printing it is difficult to match with other print technologies, notes Graupman.
Media Compatibility
As more substrates are introduced to the digital print space, additional media is successfully optimized for inkjet printing. In the cutsheet space, vendors work to improve media compatibility with water-, UV-, and oil-based ink sets.
Graupman says improvements are made by focusing on key technological advancements in printheads, ink formulation, and drying technology. “Printhead developments have led to higher resolution capabilities and improved recirculation within the printhead, enhancing overall print quality and consistency. Second, ongoing ink formulation development has allowed for better adhesion and compatibility with a wider range of substrates. Finally, advancements in drying technology have played a crucial role in optimizing ink performance, ensuring faster drying times and improved durability on various media types. By leveraging these innovations, we expand the range of compatible substrates between inks.”
Nerf shares key strategies Canon implements to improve media company that include optimized ink technology with its water-based pigment inks and ColorGrip technology; advanced media handling systems including automated paper path adjustment, media detection, and profile optimization; and development of new media trough collaborations with paper manufacturers and certification programs.
Fujifilm continues to develop and refine its ink sets to work well with media manufacturers’ newest paper types and finishes. “Innovations in our ink formulations help improve adhesion and dry times, which allows for better compatibility with coated and uncoated stocks, recycled papers, and other specialty papers,” explains Poulin.
The research involved with ink development may also include priming technology. Fujifilm’s water-based VIVIDIA ink technology includes Rapid Coagulation Primer (RCP). “RCP involves applying a primer coating to the media before the actual printing process begins. The primer helps to rapidly set the ink upon contact, ensuring better adhesion and reducing ink bleed. This not only improves print quality on a wider range of substrates but also enhances the durability and vibrancy of the printed images,” says Poulin.
Landa’s proprietary Nanograhic Printing process, based on Landa NanoInk, has developed overtime to not only allow excellent media compatibility on a wide array of paper/paperboard media—but without needing any sort of pretreatment.
Also, eliminating the use of primers and pre-coatings, “by formulating SCREEN Truepress SC inks, SCREEN is setting the stage for printers to avoid having to apply primer or digital additives to standard coated offset stocks,” shares Schlimme.
Similarly, Komori continues to improve on its UV cutsheet technology in the B2+ space. The new ink set designed to run in the J-throne 29 works with most substrates without using pre-coating.
“Konica Minolta’s UV ink set allows us to print on virtually any paper-based stock within the size and weight range of the press. We continue to test and improve our ink set for more exotic stocks such as synthetic stocks used in point of purchase and point of sale applications,” shares Riecke.
Real Possibilities
Vendors focus on improving media compatibility no matter the technology or ink set used on their devices. Many vendors’ goals surround improving their technology to print onto paper-based materials without pretreatments or coatings, while others look to push the limits and create vibrant prints directly onto synthetic stocks. Cutsheet inkjet technologies are one of the many pillars of the digital print industry where innovation leads to real possibility.
May2025, DPS Magazine
