How does a continuous inkjet printer work?
A continuous inkjet printer – often called a CIJ printer – is a type of machine used in factories to print things like best-before dates, batch numbers, barcodes, or logos on products and packaging. If you’ve ever seen a date code on the bottom of a can or bottle, chances are it was printed by a CIJ system.
So, how does it work?
It all starts with ink. Inside the printer, ink is pumped through a small nozzle at high pressure. The nozzle vibrates (using a crystal that pulses thousands of times per second) to break the ink into tiny droplets. These droplets fly through the air in a stream – think of it like a super-controlled spray.
Before they reach the product, some of the droplets are given a small electric charge. Then, as they pass between two charged plates, the droplets are gently bent or “steered” to land in exactly the right spot to make letters, numbers, or images. The droplets that aren’t needed are simply collected and recycled back into the system.
The clever thing about CIJ is that it never stops. The ink is always flowing – even when it’s not printing. That’s part of what makes it fast, reliable, and great for printing on moving items on production lines. It also works on all sorts of surfaces: plastic bottles, glass jars, foil pouches, metal tins, even eggs!
Continuous Inkjet printers use special fast-drying inks, which means you don’t have to worry about smudges. Some inks are designed to be waterproof, heat-resistant, or suitable for food packaging. There are even inks that glow under UV light or change colour when heated.
A good example of this kind of printer is the alphaJET range from Koenig & Bauer Coding. These machines are built for busy production environments and are known for being easy to use, reliable, and economical to run. They come with features like smart ink usage, low maintenance requirements, and touchscreen controls – so they’re just as handy for smaller companies as they are for big manufacturers.
CIJ printers are usually installed directly on the production line, where they can print while the products move past. They can be set up to print one line of text or several, in different sizes or fonts, depending on the job.
In short, a continuous inkjet printer is like a high-speed, ultra-precise paint sprayer – except it works non-stop, doesn’t touch the product, and is smart enough to print exactly what you need, when you need it. Whether you’re printing expiry dates on food or batch codes on cosmetics, Continuous Inkjet printers offer a flexible, cost-effective solution.