Piezoelectric or thermal heads spray picolitre droplets of pigment onto paper. The default method for photo prints, fine art, and proofs.
Tiny nozzles spray microscopic dots of ink onto paper.
- ▸The print head moves back and forth, firing droplets in patterns.
- ▸Mix tiny dots of cyan, magenta, yellow and black to fake every color.
- ▸No plates, no setup — just send a file from your computer.
History
IBM patented continuous inkjet in 1976; Iris Graphics commercialised fine-art inkjet (later renamed giclée) in the 1990s. Epson and Canon refined pigment chemistry for archival prints.
Process
- 01
RIP the digital file to printer instructions.
- 02
Paper feeds through; printhead traverses on a carriage.
- 03
Heads fire CMYK + light/grey/photo-black droplets.
- 04
Pigments fix on coated or rag paper instantly.
- 05
Optionally re-coat with varnish for permanence.
Strengths
- +No minimum run
- +Photographic detail
- +Archival pigment options
Limitations
- −Slow vs offset
- −Ink cost per print
- −Sensitive to paper coating
Sources & citations
References for the history and process described above.
- 01Inkjet Printing — Encyclopædia Britannica
- 02A Brief History of Inkjet Technology — Computer History Museum