Technology guide
Continuous inkjet (CIJ) is one of the most established coding & marking technologies, valued for non-contact printing at very high line speeds on almost any surface shape.
A CIJ printer pumps a continuous stream of electrically charged ink droplets past deflection plates. Selected droplets are steered onto the product to form characters; the rest are recirculated. Because nothing touches the product, CIJ prints reliably on round, recessed, or moving surfaces.
CIJ uses solvent-based inks plus a make-up fluid that replaces solvent lost to evaporation, which is part of what keeps the system running at speed.
Thermal inkjet (TIJ) is often chosen as a cleaner, lower-maintenance alternative to CIJ for flat or gently curved surfaces — sealed cartridges mean no make-up fluid and almost no scheduled maintenance, with higher print resolution. CIJ still wins for the fastest lines and the most irregular shapes. If you are weighing the two, tell us your substrate and line speed and we will help you compare.
TIJ Print Solutions specializes in thermal inkjet. We’re happy to help you choose the right technology for your line — even when that conversation starts here. .
Tell us your product, substrate, and line speed and we’ll help you weigh the options — and show you where thermal inkjet is the simplest, lowest-maintenance fit.
CIJ is used for high-speed, non-contact date, lot, and batch coding on a wide range of surfaces, including round and irregular ones like bottles, cans, cables, and pipes.
CIJ streams charged solvent ink droplets and needs make-up fluid and routine maintenance, but handles very high speeds and irregular shapes. TIJ uses sealed cartridges for clean, high-resolution printing with minimal maintenance, and is ideal for flat or gently curved surfaces.