Xerox previews digital printer cured gel ink
Posted by Dawn Kawamoto Post a commentXerox gave a sneak peak Thursday of its cured gel ink, which is designed to print on a variety of materials from super slick plastic to foil with a digital printer.
Xerox's cured gel ink, previewed at the print industry's trade show drupa in Germany, is aiming to capture a larger slice of the estimated $400 billion offset printing market.
The cured gel ink, with its peanut butter-like consistency, is heated up and becomes a thick liquid, similar to motor oil. The liquid squeezes through the print heads and onto a printing surface, such as a piece of paper, foil or plastic. As the liquid cools, it reverts back to a peanut butter-like consistency and is then shot with a pulse of ultraviolet light - hardening the ink.
"Today digital systems shine in many applications while offset presses are selected for others. The ability to print on nearly any surface will bring a world of new applications within the reach of digital printers," Steve Hoover, director of the Xerox Research Center, said in a statement.
The ink is currently in the research mode and no timetable is available for when it may hit the market, said Bill McKee, a Xerox spokesman.
But he noted: "When we introduce something at a commercial trade show, we're committed to offering it to the market."
Currently, the challenges in getting the cured gel ink to market comes down to having the ink react accordingly, no matter what type of surface it's printed on, such as a cardboard box or a glossy magazine, said Jim Larson, Xerox Inkjet program manager.
Original Post