Digital Prints

Wide-format, thermal inkjet
printers used to come in either
drum or plotter formats, but
the MacDermid ColorSpan
Giclée PrintMakerFA, the only
drum-based, thermal inkjet
printer specifically designed for
fine-art applications, was discontinued
in 2003 (although
ColorSpan makes several other
more commercial plotter inkjets
that are also used for fineart
output).
Both narrow-format (desktop)
and wide-format thermal plotter
printers (also called “bar
printers”) have printheads that
move back and forth on a rail or
bar over the paper, which is
pushed incrementally by a stepper motor after each head pass. Some printheads with their
nozzles are integrated into the ink cartridges and are replaced with each ink change. Others
are separate from the inks but still need replacing. Still others come in the form of a monolithic
printhead assembly that holds the ink cartridges. See Figure 2.22 for several types.
Examples of thermal inkjet printers include—Wide-format: HP Designjet 130 and 5500,
Canon image PROGRAF W6200 and W8200, ColorSpan DisplayMaker X-12, and
ENCAD NovaJet 1000i. Desktop: Canon i9900, HP PhotoSmart 7960 and Designjet 30,
and Lexmark P707.
Chapter 2 ■ Understanding Digital Printing 69
Figure 2.21 The thermal inkjet
process.
Courtesy of Martin Juergens
Figure 2.22 Three types of thermal
printheads and ink carts: (left) HP
integrated print cartridge with ink tank
and printhead, (center) HP separate
printhead and ink cartridge, and (right)
Canon ink tanks and one-piece
printhead and holder (inset).