Charlotte Baile, Head of Marketing at Xaar.

Inkjet printing: continuing to deliver differentiation for today’s top tier ceramics

In recent years, digital inkjet printing has revolutionised ceramic tile decoration, and the latest developments in inkjet technology are continuing to deliver for today’s brands. From the trend for higher resolution and production of very large tiles (also sometimes referred to as big slabs) to the latest special effects and personalisation, inkjet is helping brands differentiate and produce the ceramic tiles customers around the world demand.

The past to the present

Digital printing was not an instant hit in the ceramic tile printing sector even though its potential was recognised. The first inkjet ceramic tile decoration printers appeared in about 2000. These early printers suffered from poor reliability, with blocked or deviant nozzles causing unwanted white and dark lines on the tiles. The printers required frequent maintenance to clear blocked nozzles, making them unviable for full-scale production, and costly printheads had to be replaced repeatedly. In addition, images were grainy, unattractive, and often unfaithful to the original artwork.

It was in 2007 when Xaar released the Xaar 1001 that the market really began to take off. Xaar’s unique, TF Technology inside the Xaar 1001 meant that the printers could run continuously for extended periods, because the high flow rate of ink past the back of the nozzle during drop ejection removed unwanted particles or air from the printing nozzle and the ink was jetted much more reliably. Finally, ceramic tile producers could take advantage of the benefits of digital printing, often seeing full return on investment in as little as six months.

One immediate advantage was the reduction in waste – digital printing is a non-contact

decoration technique (compared to roller or flat screen-printing systems, which are in direct contact with the delicate tile) so there is no tile breakage. An additional advantage was that the minimum batch size could be reduced, even to a single tile if required, with no wastage of material or time in changeover and set up, delivering zero additional cost. In comparison, previous methods required new silk screens, or roller sleeves, for each design changeover, plus the time and effort to check for colour consistency. 

The fact that a computer now controlled the colour also meant it was easier to replicate patterns repeatedly, leading to a reduction in inventory. All these changes reduced cost and the amount of money tied up in stockholding, major financial drivers for mass conversion to digital inkjet printing.

Setting the benchmark

Xaar’s printheads are the benchmark against which all other single pass printheads are compared. The printhead portfolio benefits from Xaar’s unmatched combination of TF Technology ink recirculation and Hybrid Side-Shooter architecture, delivering industrial reliability, even when using heavily pigmented and high viscosity fluids.

The Xaar 1003 and Xaar 2002 families also incorporate the XaarGuard which ensures the longest maintenance-free production runs in the industry – typically once per shift or less. Available in several drop size ranges, Xaar’s printheads provide ultimate versatility in ceramic tile decoration. Tile manufacturers can select a printer set-up which exactly meets their precise productivity, print quality and tile design requirements. Within the Xaar 1003 and 2002 families, the GS6 prints very fine detail, ideal for wall tiles; the GS12 balances detail and laydown to cover a wide range of ceramic tile designs; and the GS40 jets the highest laydown for special effects

The future

According to research firm Industry Data Analytics, ceramic tiles and its printing market is expected to grow at a CAGR of around 8.8%  from 2022 to 2027, growing From $97.46billion in 2021 to $118.8billion by 2027. In developing economies, increasing urbanisation, industrialisation, and disposable income are expected to have a favourable impact on industry growth. Furthermore, demand is predicted to rise as more homes, shopping malls, offices, and other service areas are built around the world.

With this significant increase in demand, many manufacturers are looking towards high-end applications as a point of difference in their production. Consumer choice is steadily increasing, and requirements for ceramic tiles have moved from simply providing quality and functionality to the need for individualisation and improved aesthetics.

Homogenous standard ceramic tiles are seeing a drop in demand, forcing manufacturers to speed up the pace of innovation and development as well as constantly introducing new products to meet the different needs of consumers.

720dpi high printing resolution is key

With strong market demand, China is currently the largest ceramic production centre in the world. To date, most tiles in the market are printed at 360 dpi or 400 dpi, which is an acceptable resolution for floor and wall tiles. However, with the growth in big slab applications such as dining tables, kitchenware, and sanitary ware, viewing distances are much closer, and customers are therefore looking for higher quality tiles with higher resolution and definition.

The latest printheads, such as the Xaar 2002, are delivering the resolutions that OEMs and tile manufacturers need. The combination of a 720dpi resolution together with Xaar’s unique TF Technology and High Laydown Technology are providing the printing capacity, out of the box functionality and faster print speeds required.

Printing at 720dpi enables ceramics OEM partners to deliver the higher print quality that their customers demand, especially for the growing slate market for dining tables, wall tiles, and decoration of kitchens and bathrooms.

A personal and functional future

At present, with the strong trend towards brand personalisation, customisation and product differentiation in the digital inkjet printing industry, the market has increasing demands for printing equipment and the types of fluids used which may impose challenges to the long-term operation of a printhead.

Special effect tiles have always been a key direction for the sector, enabling homeowners and end-users to transform and upgrade their designs. The application of functional glazes (functional ink) in ceramic inkjet machines and 3D effect printing are growing examples of this in the current market.

Printing special effect tiles is very demanding on both the ink supply systems and fluid, and most printheads have historically only been able to jet viscosities around 10 to 25 cP. However, Xaar's Ultra High Viscosity Technology combined with High Laydown Printing Technology can deliver fluid viscosity up to 100 cP.

By enabling a wider range of printable fluids, traditional printing problems caused by inks that are too viscous or contain too much pigment loading have been solved. The Xaar 2002 allows higher particle loading and particle size for an increased colour gamut, opacity, and special effects. Texture now becomes part of the print process in ceramic products, a major value-added point that Xaar's printhead with Ultra High Viscosity Technology and High Laydown Printing Technology brings to customers.

Customised printheads and variants for applications

In order to better help OEMs in achieving differentiation in ceramic tile production, printheads are also being customised to meet a specific requirement. This might be as simple as providing brand visibility and uniqueness on a particular print engine, bringing greater added value to the OEM business, or utilising the specific variants of printheads available to ensure the printer is tailored to the specific application.

For example, the Xaar 2002 offers three printhead variants - Xaar 2002 Plus, Xaar 2002 Premium and Xaar 2002 Advanced - to handle a variety of applications and ink types, providing customers with more choice of printing applications and better design flexibility.

As an industry pioneer in the development and manufacture of industrial inkjet technology, Xaar has transformed several industries, including ceramics. This continues with the Xaar 2002, the Xaar Nitrox and the ability to enable ceramic tile manufacturers to provide differentiated 720dpi ceramic tile high resolution prints with unparalleled printing reliability, excellent performance, and process efficiency.

By continuing to deliver such flexibility as well as differentiation through inkjet technologies, OEMs and manufacturers in the ceramic tile industry can provide the breakthrough and sustainable innovation that today’s customers’ demand.