Digital Prints

70
Mastering Digital Printing
Thermal Inkjet: For What and for Whom? The largest number of inkjet printers sold
in the world today fall into this category. They’re affordable and widely available with up
to excellent image quality that rivals photographic prints.
Piezoelectric
How Does It Work? When certain kinds of crystals are subjected to an electric field, they
undergo mechanical stress, i.e., they expand or contract. This is called the “piezoelectric
effect,” and it’s the key to this popular brand of digital printing, called “piezo” for short
(and not to be confused with “piezography,” which is described in Chapter 11). When the
crystalline material deflects inside the confined chamber of the printhead, the pressure
increases, and a tiny ink droplet shoots out toward the paper (see Figure 2.23). The returning
deflection refills the chamber with more ink.
Both the wide-format and desktop models of piezo printers come only in plotter versions
with the printhead assembly going back and forth over the paper to create the image. Piezo
printheads are typically single units with all colors included; they are a permanent part of
the machine and usually need no replacing.
Examples of piezoelectric inkjet printers include—Wide-format: Epson Stylus Pro 4000,
7600 and 9600; Roland Hi-Fi JET Pro-II, Mimaki JV4, and Mutoh Falcon II. Desktop:
Epson Stylus C84, Stylus Photo R800 and 2200.
The HP Designjet 130 six-color printer
(with optional stand) can print on
media 24 inches wide.
Courtesy of Hewlett-Packard Company