A broad range of inks are available for large format printing. Should users continue to buy OEM products – or explore third-party options? Ink manufacturer Marabu, based in south-west Germany, can offer inks of the same high quality, often with even better properties, at a significantly lower price. But how do you find the best solution for your needs? And what criteria do you need to consider?

Many wide format printers already employ solvent-based inks from third-party manufacturers – a trend set to continue in future. For one, these alternatives cost less than OEM products. Equally important, third-party inks may have highly specific properties that make them attractive for certain applications. However, as Holly Steedman, Product Manager, Printing Inks at Marabu, explains,

“For UV-curable inkjet inks, the switch to third-party products is somewhat more difficult, as it involves cleaning and profiling effort.” But even in this segment, alternatives to OEM inks are gaining traction.

Certain properties are essential for third-party inks, while other attributes are not required, but are advantageous. In the case of solvent-based inks for large format printing, all alternatives must be chemically compatible with their OEM counterparts and with printer components. They need to offer protection against any potentially hazardous ingredients. Moreover, they have to guarantee the same high quality as OEM inks, e.g. with regard to weathering, chemical and mechanical resistance – and, where possible, improve on them, to add value for the customer. Plug-and-print features and other factors can make the transition to third-party inks easier. Additionally, containers, chips and colour gamut all need to be compatible, e.g. to avoid re-profiling.

UV-curable inks from third-party manufactures must interact well with the printer and particularly the print head, and adhere well to the substrate. For indoor applications, low-odour UV-curable inks are preferable. Furthermore, demand for good adhesion on challenging substrates is growing. However, each printer and each application will have its specific inkjet ink requirements.

Switch It! by Marabu

Marabu offers a range of OEM-alternative inks under the Switch It! banner. This concept and its specially designed logo highlight how simple it is to make the transition to Marabu inks. The manufacturer’s Ultra Jet UV-curable product line can be used for both rigid and flexible substrates. It delivers brilliant tones and a broad colour gamut – plus outstanding results, and excellent resistance in outdoor scenarios. Furthermore, Marabu’s Ultra Jet DUV-GR inkscan be used as an alternative, e.g. to Océ Arizona and Fujifilm Acuity. In addition to a wide colour gamut, they feature excellent adhesion on diverse substrates, such as Dibond, PMMA and acrylic, in conjunction with maximum cost-efficiency and perfect results.

Marabu’s inkjet products are the result of a multi-stage process. Developers, ink specialists, and product managers all play a part, and pilot customers are involved from the outset. State-of-the-art production equipment from leading bead mill manufacturers delivers extremely finely dispersed pigments. This ensures the inks are ideal for downstream processes. Additionally, Marabu inkjet inks offer outstanding batch-to-batch consistency with strict quality tolerances. They undergo a number of tests to verify that they meet real-world requirements – and only then are they good enough for customers.

For additional information contact us at digitalsales@marabu.com