2005. We were facing a dilemma: the digital printing inks available on the market did not meet the requirements of our projects. They lacked either sufficient quality or mechanical durability. The decision was made instantly – if there is no ready-made solution, we have to create one from scratch.

It sounded bold. And it truly was. Developing our own solvent ink meant starting literally from zero. Chemical literature, countless laboratory trials, and the destruction of equipment worth a fortune. But the result? A unique product that today forms the technological foundation of printing at Qwerty.

From an office printer to industrial testing

The first experiments were humble – simple tests on a standard office Epson printer. This is where we verified basic properties of experimental mixtures and observed their real-world behavior. Simple, inexpensive, but effective as a starting point.

The breakthrough came with the purchase of a Mimaki JV3 printer equipped with Epson DX4 heads. This opened the door to true industrial research – we could test adhesion, color saturation, resistance to environmental conditions, and droplet ejection stability. What began as a garage experiment turned into systematic R&D work.

Solvents, resins, pigments – balancing the formulation

Creating digital printing ink is like walking a tightrope – chemical and physical dependencies must be precisely synchronized. Each component plays a specific role, and changing proportions by a fraction of a percent can ruin the whole formulation.

Solvents determine how quickly the ink dries after deposition. Resins decide whether the print adheres to the surface and resists abrasion. Pigments define color and whether the print withstands sunlight exposure or contact with chemicals. On top of that comes rheology – how the liquid flows through the microscopic nozzles of the printhead.

Adapting all these parameters to a specific type of printhead required not only theoretical analysis, but above all observation of real droplet behavior during printing. This is where chemical knowledge met an engineering perspective on the problem.

Trial and error – knowledge gained at the cost of equipment

Testing proprietary ink was not a pleasant adventure. Many printheads did not survive the experiments – experimental mixtures turned out to be too aggressive or incompatible with their construction. Each destroyed printhead meant financial loss and a return to formulation analysis.

The scale of losses? The value of damaged printheads equaled the price of a good-class car. It sounds like failure, but in reality, it was the most valuable investment. Each failure taught us how to conduct tests more safely and how to formulate inks compatible with printing systems.

Today, this experience is the foundation for further development of our technologies and allows us to approach new challenges with full awareness of both possibilities and limitations.

No pre-treatment – fewer steps, higher efficiency

The greatest advantage of the ink we developed is that it requires no pre-treatment – no special primer layer on the substrate. The ink adheres directly to PET film, ensuring excellent adhesion and resistance to abrasion, bending, alcohols, and detergents.

This is a huge practical advantage. Eliminating additional layers simplifies the entire production process and reduces costs. Fewer steps mean fewer potential failure points and shorter lead times.

Developing such a formulation required proper infrastructure: viscometers for viscosity measurement, dispersers for pigment breakdown, laboratory mixers, filtration systems, and stations for print durability testing. The entire process combined patience, determination, and the ability to learn from every attempt – including failed ones.

From naked-eye observation to advanced analysis

At first, print quality was assessed in the simplest way possible – by visual inspection. Does the print adhere? Are colors uniform? Does it withstand bending? That was enough at the beginning, but requirements quickly grew.

Our laboratory was equipped with modern instruments, including a proprietary dropwatcher system. This advanced tool uses a high-speed camera and dedicated software to analyze ink droplet formation in real time. It allows measurement of droplet volume, shape, and velocity, and detection of so-called satellites – unwanted secondary droplets accompanying the main jet.

This made it possible to precisely refine ink formulations and operating parameters under various conditions. The result? A stable solvent ink now used in industrial printing – especially where high durability and resistance to extreme conditions are required.

What’s next? White ink and new challenges

The experience gained while developing solvent ink is not the end, but the beginning of further innovation. We are working on new formulations, including white ink, which is still being refined. White ink is one of the most challenging areas in digital printing technology – white pigments tend to sediment and clog nozzles, requiring specially designed formulations to ensure suspension stability.

Our expanded R&D facilities, modern tools, and consistent process improvement enable us to successfully develop proprietary solutions for digital printing. What started as an experiment on an office printer has evolved into a full-fledged printing laboratory – but that’s a story for another time.

When the market doesn’t offer a solution – create your own

The story of developing our solvent ink is about how determination turns into technological advantage. Combining chemical knowledge, practical experience, and engineering precision allowed us to create a product that eliminates unnecessary production steps while maintaining excellent mechanical properties and durability.

Innovation in digital printing is born not only from market needs, but also from the courage to seek proprietary solutions where none existed before. Sometimes the price of that courage is destroyed equipment worth a small fortune. The knowledge gained? Priceless.