Thermal Inkjet Printing Research Articles

Influence of Z number and Pulse Voltage on Drop-on-Demand (DOD) Inkjet Printability

Inkjet printing has been applied in manufacturing structural and functional materials for decades. There are two kind of methods known as continuous inkjet (CIJ) printing and drop-on-demand (DOD) inkjet printing.[1] In DOD inkjet printing, drops are generated only when a drop needed by producing a pressure pulse in a chamber filled with inks. And before drop generation, the inkjet printing head will be moved to the desired location to locate the drop in a precise position. DOD inkjet printing is a method that directly places materials on demand, which saves the required raw materials and reduces the printing steps. As a consequence, DOD inkjet printing saves more time with lower waste consumption during production than CIJ printing and the equipment has a smaller footprint.DOD inkjet printing can be divided into two methods by which the pressure pulse is generated followed by drop ejection: thermal DOD inkjet printing and piezoelectric DOD inkjet printing. In piezoelectric DOD inkjet printing, the pressure pulse is produced by the mechanical actuation of the chamber walls.[2] When a voltage is applied, the piezoelectric material changes shape, which generates a pressure pulse in the fluid forcing a droplet of ink from the nozzle. It is important to know the inkjet printable range to generate accurate and repeatable drops. Fromm had defined ink printability in drop on demand (DOD) printing using a dimensionless Z number which related to the physical properties of the inks.[3] However, it is still not agreed whether there is a precise Z number range for inkjet printability and not known whether the range varies using different actuating pulses.The goal of our study is to find out the detail relationship between the ink properties and Drop-on-Demand inkjet printing printability and explore whether the printable Z number range change with actuating pulses and different kind of printheads.Here we investigate the influence of Z number and pulse voltage on printability using two inkjet printheads (10 pl Dimatix and 80 μm MicroFab). We have used 10 model inks made from solvent mixtures of ethylene glycol, diethylene glycol and distilled water. A range of actuating pulse voltages has also been studied. We found that the printable Z number range changes with the pulse voltages applied on inkjet printing. When increasing pulse voltage to print the same ink, it becomes printable under low pulse voltage and flying slow in the air and then printing well until at a certain voltage satellites forms and more satellites form when further increasing the pulse voltage. We also found that the printable voltage range is slightly different among inks with Z < 8. Under higher pulse voltages, it is possible to get single droplets with Z < 4, but inks with Z < 4 are printed out with some satellites. However, accurate and stable drops without satellites could be formed using inks of Z < 4 under lower voltages and it is not printable for inks of Z < 4 when printed under lower pulse voltages. These results could give an explanation of the different Z number range shown in different researches published when they using different printheads and pulse voltages.

Effect on Thermal Ink-jet Printing on Bacterial Cells

Ink jetting is a technique with varied applications. The process of bubble/droplet formation of thermal ink jet printers is one that is known to involve a high temperature. This high temperature is however localized and short-lived. Investigations are hereby carried out to evaluate the effect of thermal droplet formation on bacterial cells. Bacterial viability tests were done by colony plate counting and measurement of bacterial absorbance after thermal ink jetting. Bacterial cells were also printed directly onto agar coated glass slides using different templates and incubated. The effect of thermal ink jetting on bacterial cell wall was also conducted by gram staining ink jetted cells. The results obtained indicated that the process of bubble formation did not have any significant effect on bacterial viability as compared to the pipetted versions. Also, bacteria printed directly onto agar gave colonies similar to templates used in printing. Gram staining experiments revealed that the bacterial cells still maintained ability to give a positive gram stain test.

Numerical analysis of non-isothermal viscous jet with peripheral heat transfer

A fluid jet ejected from micron size nozzle is a commonly occurring phenomenon in biomedical engineering, printing technology and micro-fluidic applications. Disintegration of a jet into drops occurs due to disturbances induced by external sources. This work explores the various sources of perturbation and their effect on jet disintegration through numerical simulation of a two-dimensional non-isothermal model. The mathematical approach uses a novel technique to combine analytical solutions for the energy balance equation in the radial direction to solve the complete two dimensional problem. The two dimensional energy balance equation is simultaneously solved together with the axi-symmetric Navier–Stokes equations using the slender-jet approximation to predict jet velocity. The energy balance takes into account of peripheral heat transfer to the environment through analytical expressions derived from radial approximations. The model helps in understanding the factors in dynamic temperature variations that eventually render the jet unstable. The distinguishing aspect of this work is the analysis of the effect of a periodic thermal perturbation applied at any point in the domain of a progressive jet, a situation typically encountered in thermal inkjet printers and not considered previously. Results presented for non-isothermal jets which are both stationary and moving illustrate the effect of jet velocity in propagation of perturbation and subsequent drop formation. The major contribution of this numerical study is that it provides an insight on novel ways of controlling droplet formation in bubble jet printers. This study demonstrates that thermal disturbance propagating from periodic heating can be manipulated to shape the droplets and control their breakage point along the jet.

Inkjet-printed CO2 colorimetric indicators

Colorimetric CO2 indicators were prepared by printing pH dyes (M-cresol purple or phenol red, tetrabutylammonium hydroxide, ethylcellulose, 1:2 ethanol:1-butanol solvent), using a commercially available thermal inkjet printer, on either cellulose paper or plastic transparency film. Indicators inks printed on the papers had higher sensitivity to CO2, greater color change, and more producible than those printed on plastic film. Varying the print intensities of the two pH dyes resulted in multiplexed indicators with tunable sensitivity and expanded detection concentration range towards CO2. The ink-jet printing method is simple and highly flexible for the development of indicator to detect CO2 – a gas indicative of product quality in many food products. Further optimization can potentially lead to application of the indicators in intelligent food packaging systems.

Preparation of an aqueous graphitic ink for thermal drop-on-demand inkjet printing

A graphitic ink for thermal DOD inkjet printing was developed. Challenges to be met were related to the small size of the getting nozzle (20 μm), demanding high dispersion stability of submicron particles, as well as to the physical requirements of the printer. In addition, solvents potentially hazardous to human health were excluded a priori. These necessities led to the development of a ternary aqueous solvent system based on 2-propanol and monoethylene glycol, offering an environmental-friendly alternative to conventional graphene solvents. In addition, high flexibility in terms of physical properties (e.g. surface tension, viscosity, density) important for jetting is obtained. Size reduction and exfoliation, accomplished by wet-grinding of graphite in the presence of a surfactant, were followed by laser diffraction and XRD line broadening analyses, respectively. The separated graphitic colloids used for preparation of inks were composed of ca 30 layers of AB–stacked graphene flakes, as determined by line broadening analyses (XRD data). Jetting of an ink with a solid content of 0.3 mg/mL gave a thickness increase of ca. 25 nm/pass, as determined by FESEM. Electrical characterization evidenced the need to remove residual organic molecules to regain the electrical properties of the graphitic particles.

A Review of 3D Printing Techniques and the Future in Biofabrication of Bioprinted Tissue.

3D printing has been around in the art, micro-engineering, and manufacturing worlds for decades. Similarly, research for traditionally engineered skin tissue has been in the works since the 1990s. As of recent years, the medical field also began to take advantage of the untapped potential of 3D printing for the biofabrication of tissue. To do so, researchers created a set of goals for fabricated tissues based on the characteristics of natural human tissues and organs. Fabricated tissue was then measured against this set of standards. Researchers were interested in not only creating tissue that functioned like natural tissues but in creating techniques for 3D printing that would print tissues quickly, efficiently, and ultimately result in the ability to mass produce fabricated tissues. Three promising methods of 3D printing emerged from their research: thermal inkjet printing with bioink, direct-write bioprinting, and organ printing using tissue spheroids. This review will discuss all three printing techniques, as well as their advantages, disadvantages, and the possibility of future advancements in the field of tissue fabrication.

The Future of Medicine: 3D-Printed Organs

THE FUTURE OF MEDICINE: 3D PRINTED ORGANS BY JULIA PENG ANALYZING THE ENGINEERING OF HUMAN ORGANS THROUGH 3D PRINTING TECHNOLOGY T hree years--that’s how long New Yorker Tim McCabe has been waiting for a kidney transplant. Diagnosed with ulcerative colitis as a teenager, Mc- Cabe has been suffering from deteriorating kidneys ever since. Each day, McCabe waits by the phone, anticipating news of an available kidney, but each day, he is met with disappointment. Having left his job as a highway inspector due to his declining physical condition, McCabe now spends his days confined by nonstop dialysis treatments, hoping to survive long enough to watch his two sons grow up. 1 This is the unfortunate reality for many Americans awaiting organ transplants, as there is a seemingly perpetual organ shortage crisis in the U.S. In the last ten years, the number of patients required a transplants has more than doubled, yet the actual number of transplants performed has remained stagnant. There are currently over 119,000 people awaiting an organ transplant, but in 2015, only 30,970 trans- plants were performed, with the wait time for each transplant averaging 3 to 5 years. Every 10 minutes, another person is added to the waiting list, and every day, 22 people die waiting for a transplant. 6 So what can we do to solve this issue? What if there were a way to make a new organ on demand, eliminating the need for donor compatibility and absolving the waiting list crisis? The solution may lie in 3D bioprinting, the manufacturing of new tissues and organs using 3D printing tech- nology. This would involve taking a sample of a patient’s cells and using those cells to ‘print’ a new organ by depositing cells and biomaterial layer by layer, creating a tissue structure identical to that of natural human tissue. Over the years, researchers have developed and improved upon meth- ods of printing vital human tissue, and this engineering technology has now advanced to a point where systematic organ printing may be on the horizon. Berkeley Scientific Journal | FALL 2016 The general 3D tissue printing process that researchers have been using does not deviate much from traditional 3D printing; the major difference is that the printer deposits cellular biomaterial instead of synthetic material. The printing process involves three major steps: preprocess- ing, or the development of the computer blueprint; processing, the depositing of biomaterial; and post-processing, or tissue maturation and conditioning. In the processing stage, there are currently three main approaches to depositing biomateri- al: inkjet, microextrusion, and laser assist- ed printing. Thermal inkjet printers heat the printhead electrically, forcing droplets of material out of the nozzle. Microextru- sion printers use pneumatic (operated by air pressure), piston, or screw dispensing systems to extrude beads of material from the nozzle. Laser assisted printers use laser-induced pressure to propel cell ma- terials onto a collector. Each printer type has its own set of advantages and disad-

Three-dimensional bioprinting in tissue engineering and regenerative medicine.

With the advances of stem cell research, development of intelligent biomaterials and three-dimensional biofabrication strategies, highly mimicked tissue or organs can be engineered. Among all the biofabrication approaches, bioprinting based on inkjet printing technology has the promises to deliver and create biomimicked tissue with high throughput, digital control, and the capacity of single cell manipulation. Therefore, this enabling technology has great potential in regenerative medicine and translational applications. The most current advances in organ and tissue bioprinting based on the thermal inkjet printing technology are described in this review, including vasculature, muscle, cartilage, and bone. In addition, the benign side effect of bioprinting to the printed mammalian cells can be utilized for gene or drug delivery, which can be achieved conveniently during precise cell placement for tissue construction. With layer-by-layer assembly, three-dimensional tissues with complex structures can be printed using converted medical images. Therefore, bioprinting based on thermal inkjet is so far the most optimal solution to engineer vascular system to the thick and complex tissues. Collectively, bioprinting has great potential and broad applications in tissue engineering and regenerative medicine. The future advances of bioprinting include the integration of different printing mechanisms to engineer biphasic or triphasic tissues with optimized scaffolds and further understanding of stem cell biology.

Novel active packaging based on films of chitosan and chitosan/quinoa protein printed with chitosan-tripolyphosphate-thymol nanoparticles via thermal ink-jet printing

New active packaging films based on chitosan (Qo) and a blend of Qo and quinoa-protein (EPQ) were developed. The films were printed with chitosan-tripolyphosphate nanoparticles (NQos) and NQos loaded with thymol (NQoThs) using inkjet printing. Films were prepared by casting high-viscosity Qo and Qo/EPQ solutions (different ratios). Films suitable for printing were selected based on their mechanical properties and low levels of water uptake under simulated fresh-fruit storage conditions. The ionic gelation of low molecular weight Qo with tripolyphosphate produced 60-nm spherical nanoparticles, as seen with TEM. Before the NQoTh suspension was printed into films, 20% glycerol was added to modify the surface tension and kinematic viscosity of the suspension. Adding glycerol increased the Z-average and PDI by 24% and 12%, respectively, and decreased the Z-potential by 15%. Both NQoTh printed films had enhanced barrier properties compared with the control. The efficiency of thymol (Th) incorporation by inkjet printing was dependent on the number of printed layers, the contact angle, the amount of glycerol added to the dispersion, and the film type. Th release assays using Franz cells indicated continuous delivery from both films for 8 days. The differences in the Th-release profiles of the films were attributed to differences in NQoTh locations on the films. The NQoTh-printed films exhibited higher antimicrobial activity against Listeria innocua, Staphylococcus aureus, Salmonella typhimurium, Enterobacter aerogenes, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, and Escherichia coli than NQo-printed and control films. The utilisation of nanotech-printables can improve the functionality of films created from renewable biopolymers. This technology will also enable the development of new packaging materials to extend the shelf life of fresh fruits.

Evaluating silver tracks conductivity on flexible surfaces

The development of electric circuit fabrication on flexible polymer substrates has attracted significant interest as a pathway to low-cost, comfortable movement and large-area electronics among direct printing techniques. The term electronic textiles, or e-textiles, are used to denote the class of fabric structures that integrate electronic elements with textiles and can sense changes in its environment and respond to it. This new class of wearable electronic systems is being designed to meet new and innovative applications in the military, public safety, healthcare, space exploration, sports and consumer fitness fields. In this paper the inkjet printing technique (office thermal inkjet printer) was used as a simple method to chemically deposit silver Nanoparticles (85–300 nm) to the flexible surface. It is done by ejection of silver nitrate and ascorbic acid as a reducing agent to attain nanometals on the surface. Ink concentration and repeating the printing sequence of each ink determines molar ratio ejection of ink and is found to be necessary to be evaluated in order to attain the highest level of conductivity. The main purpose of this work is to gain the highest conductive printed tracks by using statistical design of experiment method on the fabric surface by applying inkjet technique. By optimizing the mentioned parameters, the highest conductivity of printed flexible tracks on the surface of paper is gained 8.0635 × 105 S/m and the result for polyester fabric is obtained 1.2417 × 104 S/m whereas metallic silver wire has a conductivity of 6.173 × 107 S/m.

Supramolecular approach to new inkjet printing inks.

Electronically complementary, low molecular weight polymers that self-assemble through tunable π-π stacking interactions to form extended supramolecular polymer networks have been developed for inkjet printing applications and successfully deposited using three different printing techniques. Sequential overprinting of the complementary components results in supramolecular network formation through complexation of π-electron rich pyrenyl or perylenyl chain-ends in one component with π-electron deficient naphthalene diimide residues in a chain-folding polyimide. The complementary π-π stacked polymer blends generate strongly colored materials as a result of charge-transfer absorption bands in the visible spectrum, potentially negating the need for pigments or dyes in the ink formulation. Indeed, the final color of the deposited material can be tailored by varying the end-groups of the π-electron rich polymer component. Piezoelectric printing techniques were employed in a proof of concept study to allow characterization of the materials deposited, and a thermal inkjet printer adapted with imaging software enabled in situ analysis of the ink drops as they formed and of their physical properties. Finally, continuous inkjet printing allowed greater volumes of material to be deposited, on a variety of different substrate surfaces, and demonstrated the utility and versatility of this novel type of ink for industrial applications.

Numerical simulation of droplet ejection of thermal inkjet printheads

SummaryIn this study, we present a method to predict the droplet ejection in thermal inkjet printheads including the growth and collapse of a vapor bubble and refill of the firing chamber. The three‐dimensional Navier–Stokes equations are solved using a finite‐volume approach with a fixed Cartesian mesh. The piecewise‐linear interface calculation‐based volume‐of‐fluid method is employed to track and reconstruct the ink–air interface. A geometrical computation based on Lagrangian advection is used to compute the mass flux and advance the interface. A simple and efficient model for the bubble dynamics is employed to model the effect of ink vapor on the adjacent ink liquid. To solve the surface tension‐dominated flow accurately, a hierarchical curvature‐estimation method is proposed to adapt to the local grid resolution. The numerical methods mentioned earlier have been implemented in an internal simulation code, CFD3. The numerical examples presented in the study show good performance of CFD3 in prediction of surface tension‐dominated free‐surface flows, for example, droplet ejection in thermal inkjet printing. Currently, CFD3 is used extensively for printhead development within Hewlett‐Packard. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

HP Pagewide System Printhead Architecture for a Compact Printer

When designing a pagewide thermal ink jet printing system you can use one of three different engine architectures. The first is “design for width” where individual silicon die are assembled into a monolithic printbar which is wide enough to print on the media size you are targeting. HP's OfficeJet Pro x uses this approach, and it provides the smallest and least expensive path, but it gives you no direct flexibility in print width. The second architecture stacks monolithic printbars into a wide array like you would stack bricks to make a wall. While this provides media width flexibility, it creates a much wider print zone where you must keep the media flat, and a bigger zone where you must maintain absolute position and velocity control. Even then there will be artifacts created between the staggered printbars caused by differential drying time. And of course the printer itself becomes larger. But this system can allow you to bring large products to market quickly, and HP has done this with its family of ink jet based web presses. The third method involves designing a nestable module, several of which can then be assembled into printbars of various lengths, from an office printer size machine up to the 40 inch print swath recently introduced on the HP pagewide product. This approach combines the low cost of architecture 1 with the flexibility of architecture 2. And since each module is individually replaceable it is more convenient for the customer as well. This paper focusses on some of the benefits and challenges of the nestable design.

3D Printing Magnetic Material with Arbitrary Anisotropy

A process for 3D printing of magnetic materials with programmatically controlled anisotropy is presented. Using an experimental thermal inkjet printer magnetic structures with and without anisotropy are printed and characterized to demonstrate the unique advantage afforded by inkjet printing – that of arbitrarily controlling the anisotropy orientation within the structure during printing. The technique will make possible 3D printed inductor and transformer cores with low losses, antenna loading materials and graded index lenses for processing microwave signals, and magnetic field sensors to name a few applications. In the inkjet printing technique presented here, a magnetic ink composed of magnetic nanoparticles in a UV curable resin is jetted on the substrate. The nanoparticles are then aligned in a magnetic field generated using a two-axis electromagnet and the ink cured to obtain a composite with the desired magnetic anisotropy. The process is repeated to fabricate a 3D structure of the desired shape and dimensions.

Ink-jet printing versus solvent casting to prepare oral films: Effect on mechanical properties and physical stability

The aim of this work was to compare and contrast the mechanical properties and physical stabilities of oral films prepared with either thermal ink-jet printing (TIJP) or solvent casting (SC). Clonidine hydrochloride was selected as a model drug because of its low therapeutic dose and films were prepared using cellulose polymers. Mechanical testing showed that the printed films had Young’s moduli and tensile strength values similar to the free film, while casted films were significantly more brittle. The drug also appeared to crystallize out of casted films during stress testing whereas printed films remained unchanged. The dissolution behavior of printed and cast films were similar, because of the rapid disintegration of the polymer. The conclusion is that printing resulted in a better film than casting because the drug resided on the film, rather than in the film where it could exert a plasticizing effect.

Thermal inkjet printing of copper tetrasulfonated phthalocyanine (CuTsPc) as a semiconducting layer on flexible MIS capacitors

Thermal inkjet-printing of copper tetrasulfonated phthalocyanine (CuTsPc) films containing polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) plasticizer were used to fabricate flexible metal-insulator-semiconductor (MIS) capacitors using anodic aluminum oxide (Al2O3) as the insulating layer. The Al2O3 layer and printed CuTsPc+PVA films were characterized individually and in a MIS structure by electrical impedance spectroscopy. Capacitance-frequency and capacitance-voltage measurements revealed distinct contributions from CuTsPc and PVA on the device electrical response. From these measurements the semiconductor charge carrier mobility, ∝, of 1.22x10- 4 cm² V- 1 s- 1 and the doping density, N A, of 3.1x10(16) cm- 3 were calculated. It was observed a low-frequency electrical response, which was attributed to diffusional processes within the printed film arising from Na+ ions dissociated from the CuTsPc molecule. A simple equivalent circuit model was proposed to take this effect into account. Finally, the results shown here demonstrate the possibility to produce flexible organic electronic devices exploiting the semiconducting properties of water-soluble CuTsPc molecules using low-cost commercial printers.

Bioactive nanoparticles stimulate bone tissue formation in bioprinted three‐dimensional scaffold and human mesenchymal stem cells

Bioprinting based on thermal inkjet printing is a promising but unexplored approach in bone tissue engineering. Appropriate cell types and suitable biomaterial scaffolds are two critical factors to generate successful bioprinted tissue. This study was undertaken in order to evaluate bioactive ceramic nanoparticles in stimulating osteogenesis of printed bone marrow-derived human mesenchymal stem cells (hMSCs) in poly(ethylene glycol)dimethacrylate (PEGDMA) scaffold. hMSCs suspended in PEGDMA were co-printed with nanoparticles of bioactive glass (BG) and hydroxyapatite (HA) under simultaneous polymerization so the printed substrates were delivered with highly accurate placement in three-dimensional (3D) locations. hMSCs interacted with HA showed the highest cell viability (86.62 ± 6.02%) and increased compressive modulus (358.91 ± 48.05 kPa) after 21 days in culture among all groups. Biochemical analysis showed the most collagen production and highest alkaline phosphatase activity in PEG-HA group, which is consistent with gene expression determined by quantitative PCR. Masson's trichrome staining also showed the most collagen deposition in PEG-HA scaffold. Therefore, HA is more effective comparing to BG for hMSCs osteogenesis in bioprinted bone constructs. Combining with our previous experience in vasculature, cartilage, and muscle bioprinting, this technology demonstrates the capacity for both soft and hard tissue engineering with biomimetic structures.

Human cartilage tissue fabrication using three-dimensional inkjet printing technology.

Bioprinting, which is based on thermal inkjet printing, is one of the most attractive enabling technologies in the field of tissue engineering and regenerative medicine. With digital controlcells, scaffolds, and growth factors can be precisely deposited to the desired two-dimensional (2D) and three-dimensional (3D) locations rapidly. Therefore, this technology is an ideal approach to fabricate tissues mimicking their native anatomic structures. In order to engineer cartilage with native zonal organization, extracellular matrix composition (ECM), and mechanical properties, we developed a bioprinting platform using a commercial inkjet printer with simultaneous photopolymerization capable for 3D cartilage tissue engineering. Human chondrocytes suspended in poly(ethylene glycol) diacrylate (PEGDA) were printed for 3D neocartilage construction via layer-by-layer assembly. The printed cells were fixed at their original deposited positions, supported by the surrounding scaffold in simultaneous photopolymerization. The mechanical properties of the printed tissue were similar to the native cartilage. Compared to conventional tissue fabrication, which requires longer UV exposure, the viability of the printed cells with simultaneous photopolymerization was significantly higher. Printed neocartilage demonstrated excellent glycosaminoglycan (GAG) and collagen type II production, which was consistent with gene expression. Therefore, this platform is ideal for accurate cell distribution and arrangement for anatomic tissue engineering.

3D printing of composite calcium phosphate and collagen scaffolds for bone regeneration

Low temperature 3D printing of calcium phosphate scaffolds holds great promise for fabricating synthetic bone graft substitutes with enhanced performance over traditional techniques. Many design parameters, such as the binder solution properties, have yet to be optimized to ensure maximal biocompatibility and osteoconductivity with sufficient mechanical properties. This study tailored the phosphoric acid-based binder solution concentration to 8.75 wt% to maximize cytocompatibility and mechanical strength, with a supplementation of Tween 80 to improve printing. To further enhance the formulation, collagen was dissolved into the binder solution to fabricate collagen-calcium phosphate composites. Reducing the viscosity and surface tension through a physiologic heat treatment and Tween 80, respectively, enabled reliable thermal inkjet printing of the collagen solutions. Supplementing the binder solution with 1–2 wt% collagen significantly improved maximum flexural strength and cell viability. To assess the bone healing performance, we implanted 3D printed scaffolds into a critically sized murine femoral defect for 9 weeks. The implants were confirmed to be osteoconductive, with new bone growth incorporating the degrading scaffold materials. In conclusion, this study demonstrates optimization of material parameters for 3D printed calcium phosphate scaffolds and enhancement of material properties by volumetric collagen incorporation via inkjet printing.

Novel Prospects and Possibilities in Additive Manufacturing of Ceramics by means of Direct Inkjet Printing

Direct inkjet printing is a versatile additive manufacturing technology to produce complex three-dimensional components from ceramic suspensions. By successive printing of cross-sections, the sample is built up layer by layer. The aim of this paper is to show the different possibilities of direct inkjet printing of ceramic suspensions, like printing of oxide (3Y-TZP, Al2O3, and ZTA) or nonoxide (Si3N4, MoSi2) ceramics, featuring microstructures, laminates, three-dimensional specimens, and dispersion ceramics. A modified thermal inkjet printer was used and the ink replaced by aqueous ceramic suspensions of high solids content. The suspensions were processed in an attrition mill or agitator bead mill to reduce the grain size <1 μm to avoid clogging of printhead nozzles. Further significant parameters are rheological properties (viscosity and surface tension) and solids content which were adjusted to the requirements of the printheads. The printed and sintered samples were analysed by SEM. Mechanical properties of 3Y-TZP samples were examined as well by use of the ball-on-three-balls test. The biaxial flexural strength of 3Y-TZP specimens was up to 1393 MPa with a Weibull modulus of 10.4 for small specimens (3 × 4×0.3 mm3).