INDUSTRIAL DIGITAL PRINTING

Now you can print on everything. In HD.

What is Industrial Digital Printing?

Industrial digital printing is important in our lives because it plays a pivotal role in decorating the places where we live and work, from wooden floor surfaces, furniture, skirtings and glass to fibre cement, ceramic, plastics and packaging. Today, industrial, decorative and functional printing demand effective mass customisation, and in this regard digital printing offers outstanding advantages.

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Costumization with digital printing

How does Industrial Digital Printing respond to growing market trends?

Through industrial digital printing technologies, the opportunities to respond to markets, which seek more and more customisation, are easier than before, ensuring excellent quality and are economically viable.

Digital printing technologies are growing fast and our experience enables us to provide the most advanced solutions available today. This means superb natural looking effects, a realistic textured feel to each surface and even the most lavish customisation can be achieved at competitive costs.  

One of the key issues is the need to combine high productivity with low-volume batches, even single pieces.

Where can Industrial Digital Printing be used?

Digital printing can be used in many different sectors by our customers. Along with our in-depth experience in this technology, and extensive knowledge of the process and the inks, we can support them in learning how to prepare the print files.

Other than Wood and wood-based materials, Ceramics, Metal, Fibre Cement, Glass, Plastics and Cork, here are a few more specific application areas:

Edges with digital printing

Edges – apply the same decorative effect you have on a panel to the edge using J-Print SP roll-to-roll (R2R).

Skirtings

Skirtings - J-Print SP replicates the pattern from the floors on which the skirting boards will be fitted. Also with natural wood patterns.

flooring

Flooring – realistic, high-quality reproduction of natural wood patterns with extremely hard-wearing surfaces.

Packaging

Packaging & Converting – avoiding the significant expense required when using offset or flexographic printing for small batches.

Our experts are always available to advise on selecting the correct materials and production parameters to address issues such as durability, depth, naturalness and definition of the textured effect.

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Embossed in Register: EIR Printing

EIR printing is one of the most exciting techniques that industrial digital printing technologies enable: it can achieve haptic, textured effects on flat surfaces.

J-PRINT TD performs EIR printing with a resolution of 400 dpi. Using special inks and ensuring the same surface resistance as you would expect from any high-quality flooring, this printer generates tactile effects with outstanding realism and an affordable, reliable process

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Scan to Print

Scan to Print enables customers to scan and directly print on a single piece or batch of pieces, reproducing an original source pattern, even with tactile effects achieved on the J-PRINT TD model. Streamlining the process from scan to print without all the intermediate steps is ideal in response to impromptu requests, such as for the one-off replacement of damaged pieces.

Industrial Digital Printing has unlimited potential.

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White Paper

Do you want to know more of Industrial Digital Printing technologies?

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Industrial Digital Printing

The search function is now available for complete production lines. All you need to do is select the material involved, the market sector or the finished product. Whichever search criteria is used, a corresponding solution for your digital printing line is obtained in just 3 steps. Search results will indicate the most suitable solution, based on the level of flexibility required, the productivity range and the overall footprint. Solutions are classified as small (S), medium (M) or large (L).

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Frequently Asked Questions

Which substrates can I print on?

Many! Each requiring its own specific pre-treatment, curing level, finishing etc.
Examples: MDF and other wood derivatives – fibre cement – PVC – SPC – WPC – ABS – PS – Aluminium and other metals – glass – leather.

Can I decide exactly what design I want?

Yes! There are virtually no limits.
You may need to consider the following factors in some cases:

  1. Printing resolution will affect minimum printable detail.
  2. Specific surface characteristics of the substrate.
Can I print on raised panels as well as flat panels?

Yes, but the quality may not be quite as good.

Flat panels are perfect for inkjet technology because the substrate is always kept very close to the print heads.

You can also print on slightly raised panels if you follow a few basic rules:

  1. Ink droplets will not reach vertical or severely inclined surfaces.
  2. Print heads must be less than 7 mm from the surface to avoid blurred printing.

Strategies to overcome the above involve larger ink droplets, but result in grainier effects.

Our technical experts can evaluate such issues on a case by case basis.

Can I print on edges or profiles?

Yes, you can print on both.

Edges
We have developed a digital printer for edge foils handling thicknesses from 0.1 to 2 mm and a useful printing width of up to 500 mm (19.7”).

Profiles
Considering the issues answered in questions 1 and 3, direct digital printing on profiles is possible.

We have developed a digital printer for skirtings and other profile types. Preparation and finishing must be defined case by case.

What’s the largest size I can run through a digital printer?

Depending on the printer model in our range, we can ensure the following maximum useful widths:
Single-pass up to 1540 mm (60.6”).
Multi-pass up to 2500 mm (98.4”)

How do I measure the quality of the print and what will my customers expect?

We can only measure objective quality. Subjective quality is a question of taste.

Here are some objective factors:

  1. Resolution or dpi (dots per inch) is a measurable value. Our range of industrial digital printers work at resolutions of 400x400 dpi or 400x800 dpi (where 800 dpi is parallel to the direction pieces travel in single-pass printers)
  2. Colours are a measurable factor using a spectrophotometer, providing the area measured is large enough for the sensor. The naked eye evaluates colour more effectively, but it is subjective.
  3. Image sharpness will also depend on the base coat and printer set-up.
  4. Colour shades and contrast will be affected by the layers of top coats
Is digital print quality constant over time?

One key issue is consistent acceptable quality over time.
This can be achieved by implementing the following activities:

  1. Check hardware set-up daily: align the print heads, clean the nozzles.
  2. Check software set-up regularly: ensure nozzle compensation and shade uniformity across the conveyor.
  3. Ensure correct workflow and follow it strictly at all times: coating process control, colour profiling, image management, raster image processing (RIP).
  4. Define and perform Print Quality Assessment & Maintenance daily.
Can I print single pieces or must I print in batches?

Whereas multi-pass printers generally print single pieces, our single-pass printers also print in “batch one” mode.
To maintain excellent productivity, we have made it very quick to switch from one design/pattern to the next on our single-pass solutions.

Is 3D digital printing possible?

Firstly, this does not mean “rapid prototyping”. It means creating a superficial 3D effect, a texture.
Yes, it is possible.
Achieved digitally on single-pass and multi-pass printers, there are 3 methods we advise to obtain different characteristics, all of which create a 3D effect. Depending on the end usage of the finished product, we would recommend one of these methods.

What are the key benefits of industrial digital printing?
  1. Flexibility. It is simple to change from one design to the next as often as required.
  2. Unit cost is in no way connected to batch size.
  3. Quick response to fast-changing market demands and fashions.
  4. Very short lead time from the idea to the first sample.
  5. Ability to test countless variants, evaluate and pinpoint market trend instantly.
What are the disadvantages of industrial digital printing?
  1. Handling large volumes. This technique is not for mass production.
  2. Economies of scale. Unit cost does not drop in line with higher volumes.
  3. Learning curve. Many end-users are at the start of the learning curve and need to develop some skills and knowledge to exploit the technologies. We can support you.
Which applications are best suited to digital printing?
  • Flooring
  • Panel decoration
  • Door decoration
  • Edge-banding
  • Fibre cement decoration
  • Profiles
  • etc.

ceflaLab

We believe technological research and continuous innovation to be essential for the achievement of rewarding results. First and foremost, our goal is to be a consultant and partner.

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