Solid ink technology
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Solid ink technology was developed by Tektronix as early as 1986. After being acquired by Xerox in 2000, solid ink technology was used on some Xerox color printers. Solid ink technology replaces liquid ink or toner with an ink stick. Its shape does not melt until it is heated to a specific temperature. The rest of the time is solid. The melted liquid ink is transmitted to the ink to be printed through a precise stainless steel print head. Turn back to the solid immediately after the material.
Solid ink printers are relatively simple in design compared to color laser printers (Figure 1). A solid ink printer (Figure 2) consists of only three important components: the print head, the print drum, and the controller. The print head sends ink to the print drum and then transfers the image to the paper, while the controller converts the data from the computer to the printer.
Solid ink printers are designed for color printing and have different shapes of ink sticks. Xerox deliberately made the color ink sticks into different shapes for the convenience of the user to insert into a specific slot on the top of the printer (Figure 3). Due to the simplicity of the design, this type of printer is lighter and more affordable than a color laser printer. There are also significant advantages over color inkjet printers due to their fast printing speed, low cost of consumables, and the ability to print high quality text and images on a wide range of media.
Advantages and disadvantages of solid inks
First, the advantages of solid ink:
1. Good print quality - Solid inks produce vibrant colors and superior print quality on a wide range of media such as card stock, envelopes, transparencies, recycled paper.
2. It is safe to use - solid ink sticks are safe to use and access. Because it is made of non-toxic vegetable oil and will not melt in the hands. Unlike inkjet or laser printer cartridges, it does not leak or spill. 3. Relatively environmentally friendly - when the solid ink stick is used up, there are no empty boxes left. According to Xerox, the waste from solid inks is reduced by about 90% compared to toner cartridges. After 100,000 prints, a color laser will produce 157 pounds of waste, compared to 5 pounds for solid inkjet printers.
4. It is easy to load ink - the solid ink sticks use different shapes for each color, so the ink stick can only be loaded into the correct ink tank. The ink tank is placed on top of the printer and can be replaced at any time, even during printing.
5. Compact design - Solid ink printers have only three important components, so there are fewer maintenance and repairs. Because the printer is more compact, it takes up less space than a color laser printer.
6. Fast printing speed - Solid ink printers have a very fast "throughput" and you can see the printed prints when you click the "Print" button. As soon as you warm up, solid ink has the fastest home page output. In general, solid ink printers can print up to 30 pages per minute.
7. Light financial burden - Solid ink printers and their consumables are more affordable than color laser printers and color toner cartridges.
Second, the shortcomings of solid ink:
1. Warm-up time is long - the printer needs a few minutes of warm-up time before printing.
2. Long-lasting print quality - Since solid ink prints are sensitive to UV and sunlight, the color may fade over time.
3. High power consumption - Compared to laser printers, solid ink printers consume more power to heat the ink sticks and keep them molten.
4. Wax Prints - Solid inks form a waxy coating on the surface of a flat media that will cause slight bulging on the surface, making it difficult to write text or images on the surface.
5. Suitable for large batch printing - solid ink printers are best for high volume printing. If it is idle for a long time, the printer is in hibernation and it will take a few minutes to warm up for the printer to function properly.
Third, the comparison of solid ink, color inkjet and color laser
If readers are considering buying a color printer, there are three options in the current market: color inkjet, solid ink, and color laser printers, but it's hard to say which printer is the best because each print technology has its own pros and cons. However, understanding your needs and the characteristics of these printers can be a great help in making the best decisions.
Color inkjet printers have a lower investment threshold: they can be NT$2,000 or less. However, the color ink was quickly used up, and the replacement of the ink cartridge was expensive. Color inkjet printers print at a slower rate and can only handle small prints or print on all media. In order to produce high-quality images, expensive photographic papers must be used, and sometimes the ink cartridges may leak to cause stains on the documents or blur the image. Color inks are not resistant to light or water, and may fade over time. The empty ink cartridge imposes a burden on the environment, and of course, the refillable ink cartridge can be thrown away after being filled for several times.
Color laser printers are much more expensive than inkjet printers, although some manufacturers have greatly reduced the price of color laser printers to increase the price of replacing toner cartridges to compensate for the loss of profits. On the budget side, color laser printers are around NT$6,000, and the cost of a replacement cartridge is between $2,000 and $3,000. Color laser printers produce high quality text at faster print speeds, but are less likely to print vivid colors and high quality images. The toner may overflow and cannot be removed once it overflows. Empty toner cartridges take up a lot of space in landfills and take a long time to break down.
Solid ink printers are newborns in the color printing market, and solid inks produce high quality text and images on a wide range of media. The printing speed is fast and it is very suitable for mass printing. Solid inks are easy to use and handle, and there are no spills or leaks. When the ink stick is used up, it will not leave an empty box, which is a good environmentally friendly machine. Solid ink printers have a sophisticated design that takes up less space than a color laser printer. Solid ink printers are more expensive than color inkjet printers, but they are much smaller than color laser printers and are more affordable. Solid ink printers require longer warm-up times and use more power to heat the ink sticks. Wax-based inks are difficult to write and may fade over time as they are exposed to the sun.
In summary, color inkjet printers are ideal for home use, and solid inks and color laser printers are the best choice for business printing. The actual single-page cost for different types of printers is difficult to analyze because, in addition to considering the price of the printer, the price of the replacement cartridge is also considered. In addition, the low-end and high-end models of each printer are also very different. However, solid ink printers have significant advantages in the total amount of waste generated. Despite the high investment cost, solid ink sticks are less expensive than other technologies and can print high quality text and images on a variety of printing media. These are great advantages for small businesses in print jobs that often require different applications and affordable color printing.