inkjet ink characterisation

Printhead selection and waveform development techniques to meet the varied application needs of industrial inkjet

The choice of printhead and driving waveform can make the difference between dazzling success and dismal failure for any industrial inkjet system. Matthew Pullen, Meteor Inkjet’s product manager for dropwatching systems, discusses tools and techniques for manipulating printhead waveforms.

Designer droplets – why the size and stability of particles in inkjet inks matter

Dr Steve Ward-Smith of Malvern Instruments gives an overview of the main particle assessment techniques he will be describing in detail at the Inkjet Ink Characterisation course to be held at IMI Europe's Inkjet Summer School in Ghent, Belgium in June 2017.

Rheology of inkjet inks

Inkjet ink viscosity is a complex topic requiring specialist equipment and techniques to characterise fully. Viscosity is a key parameter mediating drop formation as well as substrate behaviour so is vital to understand in ink development. Mats Larsson from Malvern Instruments will describe the use of characterisation equipment to measure the rheological behaviour of inkjet inks at the IMI Europe Inkjet Ink Development Conference in Lausanne, Switzerland, 15-16 March 2017.

The importance of dispersion quality for industrial inkjet inks

One of the most difficult aspects of developing reliable inkjet inks is creating a stable dispersion of particles within the ink. This applies to inks containing pigments for colour applications but equally to inks containing other particles for functional deposition applications, which are becoming increasingly important.

(Approximately) five key issues in inkjet ink development

Tim Phillips looks at the fundamental issues facing ink developers, including the trade-off between application performance and printability, carrier choice, dispersion quality, characterisation and application-specific issues.

Controlling pigment properties for optimal inkjet results

As inkjet technology progresses, the demand for characterisation of inks as regards their pigment size, the presence of single oversized grains and overall colloidal stability is increasing. Dr Thomas Benen of Microtrac introduces the main characterisation techniques used for inkjet ink dispersions.