Inkjet Dictionary

Piezo inkjet

The piezo inkjet applies electrical signals to ink chambers made of piezoelectric crystals, causing deformation of the chamber walls and roof to eject ink through tiny nozzle holes. The jetting principle mechanism and the chemical properties of the material make it possible to use various types of ink including chemically reactive solvents and UV curable inks.

Thermal inkjet

The thermal inkjet heats ink in the chamber to generate vapor bubbles that eject ink drops from the nozzle. The head is made by a photo-litho process, enabling cost-effective production of many nozzles at a higher resolution than possible with piezo heads.

Meniscus

Vibration of a meniscus vibrates during the forcing cycle may affect the jetting characteristics and change factors such as drop velocity or directional accuracy.

Satellite Drop

Small drop or drops that accompany the main, larger ink drop ejected by head actuation. These drops often cause problems in the printer such as degradation of image quality.

Color Bleed (Bleeding)

The an image defect typically observed in inkjet prints where different color inks bleed into one another. This is usually caused by either too much ink or improper absorbing characteristic of paper.

Bronzing

A visual effect observed in inkjet prints using pigment inks. When viewed at a certain angle, areas where C, M, Y inks are mixed to generate grey tone tend to have a bronze- like metallic reflection.

Scan Printing

A method of inkjet printing where a head carriage is reciprocated across the media surface while the media is transported intermittently. All home-use inkjet printers and most large-format printers use this printing method.

Single-pass Printing

A newly-emerging printing method where a media-wide head array ejects ink onto the media that travels beneath it. More and more industrial inkjet applications have been adopting this method because of its high productivity.

Purge

Ink can be purged from this nozzle either by pressurising the ink supply or by applying a vacuum to the nozzle. The purge action can remove air bubbles from the ink chamber and blockages from the nozzles.