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Water vs Ethanol Ink for Thermal Inkjet: Matching the Right Ink to your Substrate

Domino's TIJ inks consistently deliver sharp and clear prints that are durable over the product's lifecycle on a wide variety of substrates including paper, cartons, blisters, foils and wrappers. We've shared some quick tips on selecting the right ink to your substrate to achieve the best code results.

Quality coding and high productivity are achieved through Domino's Thermal Inkjet (TIJ) inks. Developed in compliance with the highest industry standards, Domino's inks are rigorously tested to ensure the highest levels of reliability, dependability and consistency for your coding needs.

Domino have developed two TIJ inks to be used in conjunction with the G20i outer case coder. TIJBK640 is a water-based black ink designed for coding onto cardboard including data matrix coding, and TIJBK140 is an ethanol-based black ink, developed for coding into non-porous substrates such as glossy surfaces, foils, wrappers and blister packs.

Not sure which type of ink you need? Our experts have shared some advice to help you choose ink compatible with your material's substrate.

Water vs Ethanol

Both types of TIJ inks offer different benefits, and are each compatible with a wide range of surfaces. Domino's water-based TIJBK640 delivers rapid drying time with high print contrast on carton board, while the ethanol-based TIJBK140 provides excellent coding results on non-porous substrates such as gloss cartons and confectionery wrappers.

There are a number of key factors to consider when choosing your ink type, including the ink basis, suitability, adherence, dry time, contrast and required prints per cartridge. Below is an overview of the vital characteristics of the water and ethanol-based G20i inks to help guide you in selecting a compatible ink cartridge for your G20i coder.

  TIJBK640 TIJBK140
Ink Basis Water Ethanol
Suitability Porous substrates (paper, carton), general use Non-porous substrates (blisters, glossy surfaces, foils, wrappers), food packaging safety testing supported
Drying Time Typically less than 15 seconds on carton board Typically less than 1 second
De-Cap TIme Excellent (clear first print after line stops in excess of 8 hours) Very good (clear first prints after extended line stops in excess of 4 hours)
Contrast Very high print contrast Good print contrast
Prints Per Cartridge 575,034 (32 character message over 3 lines at 200 x 300 dpi) 573,546 (32 character message over 3 lines at 200 x 300 dpi)

Benefits of TIJ Inks

Sharp and Clear

Rapid dry times and superior contrast produces clear, precise and high-contrast codes for superb legibility and barcode readability.

Perfect Prints Every TIme

Ink qualities such as long stand-open-time ensure our inks product perfect codes in interrupted or continuous production lines at every possible speed. No matter the circumstance, Domino's formulated inks are suitable for your application.

Durable and Lightfast

Domino specialist inks give outstanding, independently-verified lightfastness, great adhesion, and high resistance, enabling you to produce codes that last throughout the life of the product.

Consistent Quality

Ink cartridge and i-Tech features have all been developed to create a printing system that guarantees consistent print quality throughout the life of the cartridge.

Domino G20i Carton Coder Starter Packs 

Check out our G20i Starter Pack including Water-Based Ink Cartridge

This pack contains a Domino G20i carton coder and a water-based Domino ink cartridge

Buy Now

Check out our G20i Starter Pack including Ethanol Ink Cartridge

This pack contains a Domino G20i carton coder and an ethanol Domino ink cartridge

Buy Now

RELATED PRODUCTS

Marking and coding solutions delivering traceability

Continuous Inkjet Coding

Domino’s Ax-Series range is the newest generation in continuous inkjet technology, offering gains in ink usage, droplet accuracy, and placement at traditional print speeds. Capable of printing on virtually any surface, Domino also offer an extensive range of ink types, from inks for standard applications through to hard-to-code substrates like rubber, and environmentally friendly fluid alternatives.

Thermal Inkjet Coding

Domino’s G-Series range of thermal inkjet printers are ideal for hi-res non-contact printing onto both primary and secondary packaging. A popular technology for food manufacturing and industrial environments, the G-Series can produce high-quality codes on fast production lines. With little to no maintenance requirements, Domino’s TIJ technology is very efficient and offers a low total cost of ownership.

Thermal Transfer Printer

Print real-time and variable data, machine-readable codes and images onto flexible packaging films and labels with Domino’s V-Series range of thermal transfer overprinters. The unique i-Tech Dancing Arms maintain ribbon tension and virtually eliminate downtime while also using up to 60% less ribbon. The V-Series offer simple integration with equipment including labellers, tray sealers, flow wrappers, and baggers.

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