Critical Analysis of Print Quality Factors (Hue Error and Print Contrast) in Piezoelectric Inkjet Press on Matt Coated and Gloss Coated Cellulosic Substrates

Abstract

Digital printing has been used for graphics and papers for decades. The market share of digital printing is growing at a faster rate than in recent years. Among digital printing technologies, inkjet printing is getting more popular day by day. The main focus is on piezoelectric inkjet printing because of its reliability and capacity to handle various inks and substrates. For many years, piezo-driven inkjet printing has been widely employed in graphics applications, since consistently high-quality printing is still the main issue for printers. Paper is a cellulosic substrate most commonly used in the printing industry. The print quality reproduced by any printing equipment is directly influenced by the type of paper used and the coating over the paper surface. Coated papers are used to produce high-quality prints for conventional and digital printing. Coated paper has around 60 per cent of the total market share of the paper industry. Achieving ideal printing conditions for ink formulation and printing parameters is still a challenge for inkjet printing. Inkjet inks are typically composed of 60 to 95 percent solvent, making it difficult to evaporate the solvent while still ensuring that the ink adheres to the paper. Empirical studies and trials are required to formulate appropriate inks and print settings for target materials. As a result, analysis of two prominent print quality factors, namely hue error and print contrast, on different coated papers is the need of the hour. In this research work, two print quality factors, hue error and print contrast; have been evaluated on a commercial piezoelectric inkjet printhead.