ArtisJet Blog

The UV LED printer head becomes one of the main problems for all the printer users while enjoying the benefits from the UV LED printing technology.

Why the UV LED printer head is more easily to be clogged or blocked? Start from the inside of the printer head itself (take Epson DX5 as an example). The golden surface has 8 chambers and each one contains 180 nozzles with about 1.5 nm diameter (1).

Clogging possibility No.1. The printer head has 8 ink damper holders, one holder for each color (2, 3). The damper is an important part to filter the inks from the ink tubes to the ink heads. The damper holder/filter can cause the clogging in the situation of:
1. Expired ink - when the ink inside the holder is bad quality or there is chemical change;
2. Long time without printing - the ink inside of the head is dry.

Solution:
Do not take the printer head out when the printer will not be used for less than 10 days, but use self-automated maintenance module from the control system.
Do not use the printer where the light is strong, especially direct sun light.

Clogging possibility No.2. Once the electronic part of the printer head is put aside (4), the manifold or adaptor will be exposed (5). Backside of the electronic print part, there is a channel for each color (6). Removing the rubber fixer as seen in the previous image, there are better displayed the eight holes where the ink will follow into the ink chambers are displayed better (7).

The next step is taking away the gold mirror panel from the back side of the electronic part which will allow seeing that the ink is staying in the plastic rubber container and then it is fired and shot out via the piezo vibration. There are 180 nozzles on each black column (8).
Notice: Even though the nozzles in the column are very small, the ink is hardly clogged here from drying or sedimentation if the ink is of good quality within shelf life.

The main reason for clogging is the Mirror Gold Metal Film! This gold mirror film (9) is the last point before the ink is printed out.

Due to the UV LED ink characteristics, the ink hardly dries or decants from inside. It is mainly clogged right at the surface of the mirror gold metal film. Why? One of the reasons is that during printing, the printer will create some powder due to the UV ink features and it will make the mirror side dirty. Another reason is represented by the printer head which is not wet enough and the ink inside will get dry to some degree.

To summarize, the printer head clogging happens for two main reasons:
1. Ink sedimentation which happens when the ink that is used has no quality or is expired and also when the printer is not in printing module, but it lacks on maintenance.
2. Ink drying which happens because of the improper maintenance that doesn’t follow the user manual request and also because of the long exposure of the printer in strong sun light environment.

The head clogging happens mainly because of the Mirror Golden Metal Film from outside to inside gradually. 85% of the printer head clogging is from this part and not any other part.

How to avoid the printer head clogging?
The ink sediments can be avoided by selecting quality inks and store them in the right environments. Also, activate the self-automated maintenance module if you are not going to use the printer. Moreover, change the consumables often (every 2 – 3 months) from ink bottles, ink dampers and wipers and cap top as well.

The ink drying can be avoided by operating the proper daily maintenance and cleaning the powder created from the printing to the Mirror Gold Metal Film. Avoid printer exposure under direct strong sun light environment and UV lighting resources as well.

artisJet ink system refers to a whole system installed in the artisJet direct to substrates printing machines. It’s a complex system and at the same time very simple to follow. The ink system has multiple parts, each one with a specific functionality: to pump, transmit, filter, fire/shoot out, wipe/clean the ink as well as storage the wasted ink. Moreover, the ink system has a self - automated maintenance functionality.

Ink containers (ink bottles). It refers to the ink tanks displayed in the form of ink bottles or refillable cartridges. artisJet is applying the open sourcing small ink bottles (1) with a volume capacity of 200 ml of inks for each ink color for continuous ink supply system (2). WHY? In the first place, because is easy to refill inks at a low cost for the machine user and their continuous production with portable loading, filtering and refilling system.

The second main reason of choosing accessible and refillable ink containers is that the small ink bottles will avoid decantation of the ink sediments if the ink will stay in the bottles for a long time. That is why, it is recommended to use the inks within 45 days, and otherwise the TiO2 from the LED UV ink will settle down gradually affecting the ink quality and also the entire ink system. The ink consumption is very low in artisJet digital direct to substrates printing systems. We need only 30 ml of all inks combined for each printed square meter. To understand better, a printed square meter can be translated into about 130 IPhone 6 mobile covers with full printing coverage.

There are few operation tips for the ink containers: to replace or clean the ink bottles every 3 – 5 months and to avoid spraying when refilling the ink bottles and to follow the operation menus.

Ink pumping (or ink pump / ink service station). The ink pump (3) refers to a system that suctions the ink from the containers and it will direct the ink into the entire ink system via a motorized pump (4) with the spongy cap top (5) connected to the printer head (6) using vacuum power. The entire pumping system is structured as it follows: pump motors, cap tops and plastic frames.

A pinion gear of the pump motor rotates in the clockwise direction and the ink is suctioned. The cap tops unit is designed to make airtight in the cap sticking fast to the printer head surface so that the ink suction can be performed by the driving force of the pump unit. When the printer is in standby status or is power off, the cap unit prevents the ink from thickening.

Operation tips for ink pump: keep practicing the cleaning of the cap top by automatic cleaning and replace the cap top every 3 months.

Ink transmitting (ink tubes). These refers to a system or a part that makes the path for the ink delivery to the printer head. artisJet applies 3*2 mm of dark plastic tubes with a standard length of 1.5 meters protected by the ink tube tank (7). One end of the ink tubes is connected to the ink tanks (8) and the other one is connected to the damper (9). Each ink tube has a number code (10), from 1 to 8 in the situation of an 8 ink channels printer (C, M, Y, K, W, W, W, W) as artis 3000U LED UV printer is.

Ink filtering (ink dampers). It refers to a part connecting the ink tube to the printer head, containing the inks and filtering them before the last step to ink firing. The dampers (11) are made of plastic with foil filtering matt inside (12). The black port of the damper makes the connection with the printer head (13), while the ink tubes are fixed on the golden ports of the damper (14). The ink filtering is installed on the carriage and it moves with it. There is one damper for each color.

Ink firing. This is the part of the process when the colors are fired to the substrate. The printer head is the one responsible with shooting the inks onto the printing materials and it is placed on the carriage cart. The functionality of the ink firing process is based on the mother board.
Before firing ink to start a printing process, a nozzle checking must be done. The purpose of nozzle checking and head cleaning is to check that all the colors can print well and this way you can keep the ink system work properly.

Ink wiper and ink cleaning. The ink wiper (15) is a part of the ink system that is made from silicon rubber. The wiper is installed nearby the ink pump and its role is to clean the wasted ink during the printing process on the mirror side of the printer head.

Wasted Ink Tank. During the pumping and printing process, the wasted ink is stocked into an ink bottle (16, 17).

Ink system maintenance modules. There are two ways of safe maintenance of the ink system. One way is the self – automated maintenance module or automatic cleaning functionality (18) which refers to a system that powers the ink system maintenance on demand when the user is away. Another way of doing the cleaning maintenance is manually.

Whether you are new to digital LED UV printing or an experienced user, this article aims to help you in understanding better the artisJet LED UV ink system. But first, there are few points we have to highlight regarding artisJet LED UV technology.

Flash On Ink Firing System. One of the most important features is the Flash on Ink Firing System (FOIF) which makes the LED UV printer to electronically activate only the UV LEDs when the ink is fired. As a result, the printer head lifetime is maximized and it lasts up to 8 months of continuous operation. The UV LED module can last up to 25,000 working hours. FOIF helps to protect the whole ink system at the same time including the ink pump, wiper, dampers and cap tops.

Control On Demand System (COD) and LED UV curing. Designed for flexibility and simplicity, artisJet COD system is digitally controlling the UV LED curing mode to adapt for different substrates and working environments. The LED UV curing is a technology that has been advancing in the last few years and is considered as the best available on the market today.

artisJet LED UV Continuous Ink Supply System. CISS Ink Systems are designed to offer quality printing results without wasting time by changing cartridges. The continuous ink supply system is made of refillable ink tanks that are connected to the printer head until the ink is shoot out to the printing materials. Unlike the traditional ink cartridges which often requires replacements, the CISS allows the 100% utilization of the available inks making it suitable for high volume applications, therefore is cost saving.

LED UV ink system and its components. A LED UV ink system is made of multiple component parts as follows:

Ink bottles, which contain the ink liquid and is the ink source of the printer; the ink bottles comes in 3 types of containers for every user needs: 250 ml, 500 ml and 1000 ml;
Ink tubes, which help transferring the inks from the ink bottles to the carriage cart; a tube fixer is stabilizing the tubes onto the carriage;
The ink dampers filter the inks while transmitting the inks from the ink tubes and connecting to the printer head holders;
The printer head, which is the one responsible with shooting the inks onto the printing materials, it is placed onto the carriage cart.
The wiper is a small part that wipes the waste ink on the printer head mirror back side;
The ink pump powers, cleans and suctions the inks during the printing work;
The waste ink tank contains the waste ink accumulated from printer head during print.

Benefits of LED UV CISS ink system. When it comes to printing industry, the LED UV curing helps your business to move away from adverse and harmful toxic drying methods. Enjoy the many improvements by moving towards safer and eco-friendly working environment.
A LED UV system is a game changer and a main characteristic is the instant curing of the inks, so there is no need for drying time or powder. Moreover, you get the possibility to print on various materials, without constraints, even on heat – sensitive substrates and achieve high-end printing effects on plastics or any other material that don’t absorb inks.

Direct to wood coaster printing to stand out from the crowd. Numerous materials to print on and one of them is the very versatile wood. Wood is a natural product and can vary in appearance. Let’s take for example the wood slices which can be made out of natural tree branches. These can be turned into many things and wood is the most suitable substrate to create out of ordinary custom printed drink coasters. Besides being a table accessory, natural wood coasters would be great items to display around the house or to showcase special moments as memorable personalized gifts.

Personalized natural wood coasters – a better way of promoting an event. Decorative natural wood coasters made from wood slices do more than protect surfaces if they are used as items to promote the specials in your restaurant or pub. Coasters can vary in diameter and thickness and this is why you can choose a simple look by printing on thin wood substrate finishes or by printing on rustic wood coasters for durable and impressive personalization results.

From simple ideas to outstanding printing results. Personalized wood coasters are suitable for any LED UV printers, giving the possibility to print any colors and shapes directly on the surface of the finished or natural wood coaster. Each custom wood coaster is unique, mainly when printing on lightly sanded or smooth satin wood surface, achieving both durable vibrant colors and natural texture of the wood substrate.

artisJet technologies to support customer ideas. When it comes for wood coaster printing technology, one of the most important customer needs is the flexibility of producing their printed items and that means reducing costs and increasing benefits. Printing by sublimation can be quite expensive, while choosing direct to wood coaster LED UV technologies can be cost –effective due to multiple items printed at one pass. Secondly, is about the wood substrate compatibility with the inks and the heat resistant which is enough to withstand the UV lights during curing. Also, the inks on wood are water resistant, producing long lasting digital LED UV printed artworks on wood coasters, even when exposed outdoors or if water is spilled multiple times on the wooden coaster.

That is why, artisJet works hard to transform the customizing printing process in an easy and fast operation and LED UV artis line printers meets all these requirements. From A4 to A2+ size solutions, direct to wood coaster printing as well as any other wood substrate media, such as wood frames, wood packaging, wood pen and anything you can think of that is made of wood, has never been easier and more available to start a printing business. Request a sample and develop your ideas with artisJet.

Art is the passion of the direct wood printing with endless possibilities. Printing custom and fine artwork directly on wood refers to a technology delivering pictures, logos, artworks, letters, etc. onto any type of wood materials or wooden products at one step.
Direct wood printing technology is also about anything you can image, and artisJet digital wood printers will deliver directly onto any type of wood, creating a durable and touchable colors, amazing image that you are always proud to display and share for personal memories or commercial occasions, everything with endless possibilities: wood coaster printing, direct printing on wooden pens, wood signage printing, indoor decoration wood frames printing, wood packaging printing solutions and many more.

Amazing color performances on demand is the benefit from artisJet digital wood printers. Totally differentiating from the traditional wood printing methods from silk screen, sublimation, heat transfer, sanding printing, artisJet digital direct UV LED wood print technology is delivering the colors on wood in vintage matte and natural glossy to your print emphasizing the natural color of the wood material, allowing the wood color to be seen through the ink displaying the unique imperfections of the grain and knots. Alternatively, artisJet UV LED printers allow you to have the bright white color finishing covering all the wood grains and knots, delivery the most true color, photo quality in vivid sharpness. And out of your imagination, artisJet direct to wood printers create the colors touchable in 3D textured/embossed printing on wood with different color depths on demand.

Easy production operation for users is artisJet direct color to wood solution as always. Print on wood should be easier and this is the way with artisJet UV LED printers:
Step 1 - Choose your desired photos, artwork, logos etc. and import to artisRIP;
Step 2 - Put the wood onto the artisJet UV LED printer tables;
Step 3 - Print;
Step 4 - Get what you want.

Printing with green, durable and vivid color performance results at low cost. The best way to print on wood is by using the LED UV technology, printers and inks. LED UV printers offer endless possibilities and easy step by step process when digitally printing on wood. For different materials, it is very important to choose the correct type of LED UV inks. Wood, being a hard substrate, requires a hard type of LED UV ink.
One of the steps in wood printing is choosing what artwork/graphics/image/logo you want to print, import it into the RIP Software and adjust the settings based on your needs. If not polished, wood can have a rough surface and that is why it requires a higher printing resolution. Once all the adjustments were made, print directly on the wooden item.

Technical Unique features on artisJet UV LED direct wood printers. The artisJet LED UV printers are effective for digitally direct printing on dark or light wood substrates. Designed for an enhanced flexibility and simplicity, artisJet’s Control on Demand System digitally controls the operation of the LED UV system. It automatically adapts to different materials and working environments. COD controls the UV curing system which will result in delivering an optimal digital wood printing quality and drying time.

artisJet LED UV platforms are the right choice when printing on wood substrates, even for bigger projects as wood packaging and boxes, allowing you to print on 530*810 mm substrates and up to 100 mm thickness. If you want to print on small items such as wooden USB flash drives, artisJet LED UV printers offer multiple prints at one pass.

When it comes for inks, the direct to substrate LED UV inks are developed to offer an excellent adhesion and scratch resistance. This way, artisJet can offer great color results and durable prints. Also, once CMYK graphics are printed, varnish ink can be layered to create a 3D embossed textured effect.
Due to the LED UV ink and technology, the digital LED UV wood printing is environmentally friendly, with minimal emissions and low energy consumption.

Recommended products for digital UV LED direct to wood printing solutions

LED UV printing technologies refer to a non-impact, inkjet printing technique that instantly cures jetted ink droplets directly onto the printable substrate. LED UV printing offers instant curing of a digitally printed image, with the ability to print onto a WIDE variety of printable media, achieving a unique 3D raised printing effect. LED UV Printing is environmentally friendly, with minimal emissions and low energy consumption.

artis 3000U, artis 3060U and artis BR-U1800 are artisJet’s A3+ UV LED technology Print Systems. artisJet A3+ LED UV platforms are empowered by artisJet Flash on Ink Firing System that protects the entire ink system.
artisJet A3+ direct to print platforms stand out by advanced features: built-in liquid cooling system, continuous ink supply system, anti-static system as well as air purification system for artis 3000U.

Based on full consideration for industrial and quantity printing, one common feature for these platforms is the auto repeat print function which allows multiple prints by just one click on the control panel, delivering the most convenient and stable quantity and quality prints.

The print working size (28*60 cm) and print height (8.5 cm to maximum of 17 cm for artis BR-U1800) of the A3+ LED UV platforms give the possibility to produce multiple printing items from small applications such as USB keys, PVC cards, key chains to various soft and rigid materials (wood, acrylic, stone, ceramic, metal etc.) for indoor decorations or even boxes used as packaging items.

The 3D embossed and Braille effect makes A3+ LED UV printers the perfect solution for printing industry and businesses. Obtain 3D embossed printed graphics, images or logos with sharp and textured details by multiple layers printing. The artisJet RIP Software enables up to nine layers to be printed automatically, regardless the material you use. The DTS LED UV inks are developed to offer an excellent adhesion and once the CMYK graphics are printed, varnish ink can be layered to create 3D finish.

Regardless your choice in A3+ LED UV artis line, artisJet offers multiple services, from sample production and live demonstration to free training in artisJet Center and on-site and remote services.

About COPI’S. Communication art print image sign is the only b2b exhibition for printing and advertising industry in Bulgaria. COPI’S means an opportunity to gather altogether experts, distributors, technologies, media from the printing industry as well as marketers of illuminated, outdoor and souvenirs advertising.

artisJet at COPI’S 2016. In partnership with MRP Trade Ltd, artisJet will display its new A4 LED UV servo driven platform, artis 2100U. Based on artisJet LED UV technology, artis 2100U printer is suitable for different businesses, from home based to office and personalization stores. The adjustable UV LED curing power for bi-direction and uni-direction, the built-in liquid cooling system and the servo driving for Y axis to ensure printing accuracy and quality results are only few of the artisJet’s A4 LED UV platform’s main features.

Discover artis 2100U and artisJet’s latest developments in LED UV technology and meet us at Stand B15, Hall 4 starting from 5 to 7 October 2016 at Inter Expo Center in Sofia, Bulgaria.

After the 2015 total success, now is time for the third edition of the C! Print Madrid event. This year’s event will be unfold between 4 and 6 October at Casa de Campo, Pabellón de Cristal, Madrid, Spain.

About C! Print Madrid. This event brings together professionals from all sectors of the printing industry, from personalization applications, promotional garments and gift distributors as well as new technologies to end customers (advertising, buyers and directors) and new markets creative industries such as communication and design agencies, decorators, architecture and many more.

artisJet at the event. Expanding your printing business? Explore on artisJet LED UV platforms, artis 2100U and artis 3000U, and meet our partners, MQ Europe at C! Print Madrid 2016, on 4 – 6 October, Booth No. E298, upper floor.

Designed by the idea of simple operation and quality performance results, artisJet LED UV platforms allows you to start your own business for smartphones protective cases and covers printing, PVC card printing, stationary items printing, promotional items and giveaways printing to more.

Discover all the possibilities that artis 2100U A4 and artis 3000U A3+ LED UV printers have to offer and choose the one that is the best solution for you. See you in Madrid!

What is UV LED Print Technology? A system allowing the DIRECT digital prints onto all materials with instant drying speed, 3D embossed / textured printing results, sharp color performances, strong color durability and eco-friendly features.

How it works? UV stands for ultraviolet, while LED is the shortcut of Light Emitting Diode; the UV wavelength is from 1 to 400 nm, where the UV LED printing systems are using 365 – 395 nm. The name of the UV LED printer is given by the ink type, the DTS3 and DTSAT3 LED UV inks that artisJet systems are printing with. The UV LED lamps cure the digital pictures, letters, numbers printed from the printer hardware immediately during the print and change the liquid into solid substrates.

What are the main features of UV LED print? With its unique drying method from the UV LED lighting, the UV LED printing technology offers an instant dry during the digital print process. Due to its strong compatibility to wide range of materials, the UV LED print technology enables the direct print onto all type of products. Another characteristic of this technology is the stability on the white inks, which allows the direct print on dark and light materials. The instant drying feature allows a layered, textured and 3D embossed printing result. Without the VOC inside of the inks, the UV LED print technology is eco-friendly.

What are the advantages of artisJet’s UV LED print technology? Long life of UV LED lamps with wave length of 365 and 395 nm and 12,000 working hours is one of the main advantages. The flexible UV LED power adjustment for different materials printing on demand, the built-in liquid cooling system for safe and continuous printing production, as well as the piezo equipped with anti-static print system for high resolution digital direct printing makes the UV LED technology stand out. Another advantages of printing with LED UV technology is the wide range of products with different printing sizes and speed for all business levels and the low cost maintenance yet with high ROI (return on investment) on artisJet CISS system. Moreover, DTS3 and DTSAT3 inks allow the printing on both rigid and flexible substrates. That is why artisJet provides not only a printing business, but a business training as well.

What are the artisJet UV LED print technology mainly used for? It is about anything, anyone and everywhere. artisJet LED UV print technology is mainly used for:

customized phone cover printing (www.instacase.com, www.gocase.com.br, www.skinkin.com, www.hairyworm.com); personalized wood frame printing (www.woodpost.com, https://www.etsy.com/shop/WoodLifePrints?ref=hdr_shop_menu); PVC card printing (www.ownster.uk); dial face for meters and watches (www.cromptonusa.com, www.bjpinghe.com); trophy, awards and plaques (www.sportsfort.com, www.uniontrophy.com); promotional items (www.image-code.net, www.impressionsdpa.com, www.istersouvenir.rs); balloons, toys and play around (www.balloonmonkey.co.uk, www.picsolve.biz).

Customized Packaging is becoming a main part of the personalization industry. Packaging applications are needed in all kind of industries such as consumer goods, retail, cosmetics, food and beverages, industrial goods and many more.

artisJet’s extensive knowledge of printing and production ensures you to get the very best guidance for packaging innovations that support key business objectives.

artisJet covers successfully this type of business being your main supplier not only in high end printing machines, but also ink bottles, accessories and software. Moreover, LED UV printers such as artis 2100U gives you the possibility to print on substrates of 50 mm thickness, so the height of a packaging box is not a problem even when operating an A4 printer.

Designed by the idea of simple operation, the ergonomic artis 2100U printer allows you to start your own business in small sized packaging and it is suitable whether for home business, office business and chain store business as well.

The artisJet LED UV printers are designed for all the printing possibilities on demand. With its environmentally friendly printing solutions, it empowers you to print on wood, metal, cardboard etc. and all the packages needed for any special occasion.