China Achieves New Breakthroughs in Digital Inkjet Label Printing

Release Date： 2024-05-27 16:02:46 View Count： 1

In the realm of label digital printing, the mainstay technologies in the market include electrophotography, inkjet printing, and toner-based printing. Among these, inkjet printing, with its advantages of low production costs and fast printing speeds, has witnessed tremendous growth in the label market.

Regarding market applications, there has been a qualitative leap in the localization rate of digital inkjet label printing equipment. The core hardware components of digital inkjet printing comprise printheads, inks, printhead control systems, and mechanical platforms. While domestic manufacturers still largely rely on imported printheads, China's digital inkjet equipment manufacturing control technology is now at the forefront globally. Moreover, China has pioneered the integration of multiple processes such as flexo printing, laminating, hot stamping, and die-cutting with inkjet printing, achieving localized production. The broad range of applications and varying qualities of raw materials in the domestic label market have driven domestic manufacturers to explore a variety of application techniques and material compatibility, catering to more personalized customer needs. It's reported that installations of digital inkjet label printing machines from several domestic manufacturers have surpassed a hundred units, capturing a significant share – “half the kingdom” – of the digital label printing market, marking a substantial leap in the localization of such equipment.

In terms of technological innovation, core breakthroughs have been made in digital inkjet printing for labels. Key software technologies in digital inkjet printing include RIP screening, text processing, variable data handling, high-speed online data processing, and color calibration. Among these, RIP screening is crucial for digital presses, as inkjet printing's dot structure differs fundamentally from traditional printing. Traditional printing uses amplitude modulation (AM) dots that vary in size to represent color intensity, whereas inkjet, tends to produce frequency modulation (FM) dots that vary in density for the same purpose. FM dots, being smaller, are prone to loss during printing, causing image degradation and quality issues, a common complaint among printers and users. To address this, major domestic inkjet equipment manufacturers have initiated research on simulating AM dot technology, exploring how to achieve the required AM dot pattern on color inkjet printers as in traditional printing. It's known that some domestic digital inkjet devices have started adopting this technology, albeit with limitations due to incomplete control over dot size, preventing practical implementation at client sites. Nevertheless, it's noteworthy that samples have been printed using this technology, indicating that its widespread adoption is only a matter of time.

With more players entering the digital inkjet label printing arena, core technologies will be progressively conquered, and ancillary industry costs will continue to decline. There is every reason to believe that digital inkjet printing will further propel the development of the label industry.

China Label Printing

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