Resolution
Enough detail for the smallest text or code at the required speed.
Buyer’s specification guide
How to choose a
thermal inkjet printer.
Nine practical questions that turn a broad printer search into a system specification grounded in the real production line.
Begin with the outcome
Choose the application
before the model.
A thermal inkjet coder that is excellent for a date on a paper carton may be unsuitable for a serialized DataMatrix on a glossy plastic label. The model name is not the starting point—the printed result and operating conditions are.
Use this guide to gather the information a supplier or integrator needs to recommend and prove a suitable TIJ system.
1. CodeContent, size and readability
2. ProductSurface, speed and movement
3. SystemControls, data and support
01Questions one to five
Define the print task
Write down the hardest
production condition.
Collect the full message artwork and identify the smallest code, longest data string and largest print area. Then measure the fastest production speed and the least stable product in the range.
This worst-case view prevents a system being selected around an easy demonstration that does not represent daily production.
- 1. What must be printed, and which fields change?
- 2. What are the minimum code and character sizes?
- 3. What exact material and coating receives the ink?
- 4. What are minimum, normal and maximum line speeds?
- 5. How stable is the printhead-to-product distance?
Make a sample pack
Provide finished production samples, artwork, a short line video and a dimensional drawing where possible.
02Questions six to nine
Define the operating system
Plan how people and
equipment control it.
Consider message selection, data ownership, code inspection and the action required when something fails. A straightforward manual process may be right for one line; another may need recipe control and automatic verification.
Consumables, training and support should be reviewed before purchase so the lifetime operating model is clear.
- 6. How is each print triggered and speed measured?
- 7. Who selects or supplies the message and variable data?
- 8. Must the code be read, compared, verified or rejected?
- 9. What training, documentation, consumables and support are needed?
Acceptance test
Agree the substrate, message, speed, duration and inspection method that will demonstrate success before the order is placed.
Decision points
Avoid selecting on
one headline number.
These factors interact. A sound specification balances them rather than maximising one in isolation.
Print height
Single or multiple heads arranged for the complete message area.
Ink chemistry
Adhesion, dry time and resistance on the real finished surface.
Line control
Stable presentation, sensing, speed tracking and message selection.
Data
Manual, recipe, PLC, database or serialization source with defined recovery.
Support
Training, documentation, cartridge supply, spares and technical assistance.
Enquiry checklist
Send enough information
for a meaningful answer.
A detailed first enquiry shortens selection and makes quotation comparisons more useful.
Product samplesRepresentative materials, colours, coatings and pack sizes
Message fileExact text, variable fields, logo and barcode or 2D code data
Line informationSpeed range, conveyor details, product spacing and available mounting area
EnvironmentTemperature, humidity, condensation, dust, cleaning and shift pattern
ControlsExisting PLC, network, recipes, operator roles and data source
AcceptanceRequired appearance, adhesion, dry time, scanner or verification result
Frequently asked
Useful answers
before you specify.
For application-specific advice, call 01865 362785.
What is the most important factor when choosing a TIJ printer?+
The complete application: required code, substrate, speed, product stability and data workflow. No single printer specification is more important in every case.
Should we ask for a sample print trial?+
Yes, particularly for non-porous, coated, coloured, curved or regulated applications. The trial should use representative material and an agreed message and test method.
How much print height do we need?+
Measure the complete message including quiet zones and spacing, then allow for alignment and product variation. Multi-head systems can create larger areas when supported.
How should two quotations be compared?+
Compare the proved print result, included sensors and mounts, integration scope, inspection, training, warranty, consumables, expected operating cost and stated exclusions—not only printer price.