In this interview, we talk to Dr Saminu Magami, UK R&D Manager at Nazdar ahead of his talk at FuturePrint TECH, 6-7 November in Cambridge. Nazdar is a Manufacturer and innovator of the most comprehensive selection of UV curing, LED curing, solvent-based and aqueous inks obtainable from a single source. In addition, Nazdar also produces UV-LED, traditional UV, and “Dual-Cure”/Hybrid UV inks (cures with either UV-LED or traditional Mercury vapor lamps). Nazdar has recently joined FuturePrint as a partner for 2025 to share insights, thought leadership and developments to promote their OEM business. Read more here.

Q: Please tell us a little about your background, how you got into science and printing, and your role at Nazdar.

I was born in Nigeria, in the ancient northern city of Kano. My family tradition emphasises the importance of education and becoming productive members of society, and that drove much of my focus. From an early age, I was always interested in how colourful the natural environment was. This passion for colour led me to study colourants at university.

For my postgraduate studies, I was advised to pursue a Master’s degree at Leeds University, where I specialised in Colorants and Fine Chemicals. I followed that with a PhD, also at Leeds. After completing my studies and initially working at Leeds as a Research Fellow, I then moved to Edinburgh Napier University where I also worked as a Research Fellow.

From there, I transitioned into the industry as a research scientist. My growing interest in management led me to pursue a management qualification. Eventually, in October 2022, I joined Nazdar as Research and Development Manager, where I lead new product research, oversee existing product optimisation and look after the development and embedding of relevant analytical methodologies.

Q: Can you tell us more about your role at Nazdar?

I manage a team of talented chemists. Our work revolves around the research and development of various functional fluids for various applications, with a strong focus on inkjet technology. The fluid chemistries range from solvent-based formulations to water-based formulations, produced and applied in a great variety of ways. More recently, we’ve been particularly focused on water-based formulations, which have become increasingly important for applications like flexible packaging, corrugated board printing, coding and marking, and so on.

Often, my role involves supporting customers and collaborating with them. This means helping them identify their technical needs and addressing any challenges that they may have. It’s a dynamic environment, and I enjoy both the technical and managerial aspects of my work.

Q: Is inkjet technology particularly challenging?

Yes, inkjet is an exciting but challenging technology. It can be a highly complex process, especially when you consider the technical constraints, like the specifics of the printhead-fluid interaction, the required fluid dynamics, and how each ink needs to be tailored to the specific print process requirements. Often, when a segment of the inkjet system changes, the fluid needs to be adapted accordingly. 

Q: Why the focus on water-based inks?

Water-based inks are appealing because they can offer safer alternatives to traditional inks that contain volatile organic components. Water acts as the bulk carrier, which makes the formulations more environmentally friendly and sustainable. Water-based inks are generally safer to handle and easier to clean up compared to traditional solvent-based formulations. But there is a challenge when it comes to using water-based inks for high energy substrates. Such challenges bring about the opportunities to work independently or collaboratively on finding solutions, especially now that water-based inks are increasingly becoming a standard in the industry.

Q: You’re giving a talk at FuturePrint TECH. What will you be discussing?

 I’ll be speaking about ultra-high viscosity water-based ink for inkjet applications. The main focus will be on the potential to expand the range of materials that can be printed using inkjet technology. Such ultra-high viscosity inks continue to show the ability to help bridge the gap between inkjet and traditional analogue printing. However, while there are great benefits, this shift comes with its own set of challenges. It requires the right formulations and the appropriate techniques to be successful.

The applications for this technology include (but not limited to) markets like flexible packaging, corrugated packaging, coding and marking, as well as direct-to-garment (DTG) and direct-to-film (DTF) textile printing.

Q: What do you enjoy most about your work?

I really enjoy connecting with people and working as part of a team. Listening to different perspectives and collaborating to solve problems is one of the most rewarding aspects of my job. It’s important to stay focused on the task at hand, but it’s equally critical to keep an eye on the commercial opportunities that arise from our innovations.

I also enjoy attending conferences, trade shows, and visiting customers. Continuous learning is something I’m passionate about, and I always aim to turn that knowledge into tangible value for the business.

Q: How do you generate new ideas or find solutions to complex technical problems?

We approach problems by asking the right questions: Is this possible? What do we need to consider? What do we need to do differently, and how? How do we think outside the box? Often, new ideas emerge from revisiting older methods and thinking critically about why we do things the way we do. And more importantly, we work as a team.

We also rely on a deep understanding of the fundamentals, which allows us to come up with creative solutions. Sometimes, it’s about looking at things from a fresh perspective and challenging conventional thinking.

Q: What do you see as a key focus for the future of the industry?

One key focus is the development of high-viscosity inkjet technology. This, I think, will push the boundaries of inkjet printing, allowing it to take on more markets traditionally dominated by analogue printing. The scope for inkjet is expanding rapidly, both in terms of speed and functionality.

With high-viscosity fluids, it is already looking possible to print using less fluid while increasing productivity, and this will potentially make the inkjet technology more cost-effective. We’re collaborating closely with Xaar and other OEMs on this project, and I think this is something that has the potential to be a major revolution in the digital printing industry.

However, as the scope of high-viscosity fluids continues to emerge, it is critical to continue to fully understand the fundamentals of the fluid science. We need to ensure that the science is right before introducing these innovations to the market, and that’s a process that takes time.

Join us at FuturePrint TECH in Cambridge 6-7 November!