If you are looking at purchasing continuous inkjet printers, there are some important questions that you will need to ask. Our expert team have put together a list of 8 questions that all buyers should ask before they decide on the printer they wish to purchase.
8 Questions You Need to Ask When Buying Continuous Inkjet Printers
How reliable is the printer?
This question relates to the lifespan of the continuous inkjet printer and before you choose your 
model, it is important to look at the printer’s average mean time between failures. This can usually be found in the device’s specifications as MTBF. Of course a good supplier will be able to provide you with this information as well.
What printing speed do you require?
To answer this question you need to look at the printer’s line speed. This will determine whether the continuous inkjet printer will be fast enough to keep up with your intended usage. Our experts recommend choosing continuous inkjet printers that are a little faster than your assembly line which can be really helpful if you have an increase in demand.
What ink does the printer use?
You need to make sure that the printer you choose is suitable for printing on your products. Each substrate has a matching ink type that will be specified by the manufacturer or suggested by the supplier. You should also be able to estimate the cost of the ink and we recommend inquiring about refills before making your purchase too.
Where is the printer being used?
Continuous inkjet printers are large machines and they take up a lot of space with additional room required for the operators. You will need to plan your purchase well and make sure that your machine will fit in the space you intend. Some printers will give off fumes when in use so this is another aspect that will need to be considered. If your printer is going to be exposed to dust or moisture you may have to consider additional protection to ensure your printer is kept in good working order. A casing that protects is a good choice.
What size marks will you be printing?
The printer’s line height is another important element. Characters can be as small as 0.6mm or as big as 20mm. Will you require a continuous inkjet printer that can handle both? If so it is worth asking about printers with a range of line heights as this will save you having to spend on multiple coders.
What are your printing requirements?
There are affordable continuous inkjet printers that can print two or three lines of text and some models can store up to 1,000 messages with the ability to print across four production lines. Choosing the right printer should cover all your coding requirements and be scalable to a certain extent should you introduce new products with additional codes.
What about warranties and repairs?
For continuous inkjet printers, a lot of printheads and other parts can’t be repaired and will need to be replaced. Printers that have more complicated designs will also have higher failure chances so you might want to consider a continuous inkjet printer with a streamlined design. New printers will come with warranties but these will differ between machines so be sure to check them out before making your purchase.
Will the printer fit with your budget?
Adding special features to your continuous inkjet printer will increase the price and it is important to check on this before making your purchase.
View our range of industrial continuous inkjet printers from German manufacturer Leibinger. We supply the Jet One, Jet2neo, Jet2neoS, Jet3up Pro Industrial Printer and more.