Practical, no-nonsense guides on getting date and lot codes right — how to match inks to your substrate, code cold-chain and plastic packaging, and choose the right marking technology for your line.
HDPE, PP and PET are non-porous with low surface energy, so water-based ink beads up and rubs off. Here is how to match ink chemistry to plastic for codes that stick.
Read guide Jul 7, 2026Condensation and cold surfaces make codes smear or fail to adhere. Here is how to keep date and lot codes legible on refrigerated and frozen packaging.
Read guide Jul 7, 2026TIJ and CIJ both print date and lot codes, but they suit different lines. Here is a head-to-head on resolution, maintenance, speed, substrate, and cost.
Read guide Jul 7, 2026Dropped nozzles, faint codes, and smears have a handful of common causes. Here is how to diagnose and fix the print-quality problems you hit most on a TIJ line.
Read guide Jul 7, 2026A 1" TIJ cartridge prints a seamless one-inch-tall code in a single pass — and it is not one brand's trick: IUT, HP, Brady, and DHI all offer 1" formats. Here is how they differ from half-inch heads and when the extra height earns its keep.
Read guide Jul 7, 2026Cans, foils, and glass are smooth and non-porous — water-based ink wipes right off. Here is how to get durable date and lot codes onto metal and glass.
Read guide Jul 7, 2026Evolution ink codes look interchangeable and are not. Here is what 4500, 4510, 4700, 4711, 4722 and 4720 each do, and how to pick from the substrate you are coding.
Read guide Aug 16, 2026