Large character inkjet printers are capable of printing on wide surfaces, such as carton packaging, textiles, lumber, or steel. This makes it one of the most versatile industrial printing solutions for various industries. Common sizes range from 60 mm to beyond 127 mm. Some of the printers that can achieve this range are drop-on-demand printers (DOD) and laser coders.
Every industry, however, uses their own preferred types of large character printers, so it is important to know the various applications before exploring your options. This article briefly outlines a couple of industrial applications you might find useful.
5 Industrial Applications that Make Use of Large Character Printers
1. Manufacturing
Product manufacturers need to mark items and materials with case codes. This is particularly important for product traceability and handling care. A large character printer is necessary to produce big, readable, and easily identifiable prints that remain visible throughout the entire supply chain operation. Large prints can be applied to materials like cardboard or plastic packaging, wood/lumber, steel, glass, rubber, and textile.
2. Warehousing
Pallet marking and general logistics labeling tasks rely on large character inkjet printers for high-quality codes. It enhances marking efficiency, helps logistics providers comply with shipping regulations, and enables faster end-of-the-line operations. Choose a printer that can produce clear barcodes, QR codes, and other machine-readable graphics.
3. Packaging
Diverse types of primary, secondary, and tertiary packaging materials need to be coded with the necessary product and shipping information. Cartons, shipping cases, bags, sacks, and the like need a large character printer that can adapt to different materials and remain readable until the product reaches the end user.
4. Case Packing
Case packing, in particular, necessitates high-demand usage of large character prints. Cases typically bear crucial product information, which can come in the form of batch codes, contents, dimensions, weight, and best-before dates. Where data needs to be identified at a glance, large formats should be applied.
5. Meat Processing and Stamping
Large character printing is commonplace for beef, pork, and poultry processing, especially when stamping animal carcasses as ‘safe for consumption’. Raw animal products are processed into meat and other products, which are subject to inspection by relevant regulatory agencies for food safety purposes. Handheld DOD printers are one of the most versatile options for this job.
Large Character Printers to Consider
Drop-On-Demand (DOD) printers
Offers great flexibility for small to large character prints, produces smaller droplets for clear and crisp marking (1000 ppi and above), and cost-efficient thanks to drop on demand technology. Consider using the Matthews MPERIA® V-Series™ for large industrial print jobs.
Laser Printers
Print height is typically limited by the size of the marking field, allowing you to code across a large area of boxes, pallets, sacks, and plastics. It also uses a wide range of laser tubes in different orientations to tailor your printing to different materials. The Linx CSL10 and CSL 30 allow fast and easy coding on diverse substrates.
Thermal Transfer Overprinters (TTO)
Similar to laser large character printers, they are also limited only by the size of the marking field. Although it uses contact printing (thermal ribbon or solid wax or resin-based ink), it produces high-resolution prints for flexible packaging. Machines like the Evolabel T63 Thermal Transfer Printer are excellent for large-label printing.
The way you apply your large character printer can enhance your operations and help meet your business goals. Choose fast, compatible, and responsive printers that deliver long-lasting results.
ALSO READ: DOD Inkjet Printers: Advantages and Applications
If you are unsure which type of printer you should get, consult Elixir Industrial Equipment, Inc., a leading supplier of industrial machinery in the Philippines. Our vast catalogue of heavy-duty printers, palletizers, case erectors, and filling machines can seamlessly integrate into your production line and speed up your efficiency. Our experts also provide guidance, training, and product servicing to keep your machines in top shape at all times. Get in touch with us for professional solutions today.