Which is better coding technology — laser or inkjet?

Laser’s rapid improvements and reduced capital costs have opened up its applications, but despite similar results neither does the other’s job completely. This quick Q&A will help you compare ‘apples and oranges’.

Q. If they’re so different, how do I compare laser and inkjet?

A. Firstly, evaluate if the technology actually meets your application. Then, work out the total cost of ownership over 5–7 years.

Q. What do I need to think about?

A. Your application (line speeds, volume and the message to code), the end result (mark contrast and permanency needed), the equipment’s ability to integrate into existing production lines, capex and total cost of ownership, OHS (laser has specific safety requirements), ease of use and maintenance.

Q. Don’t inkjets need lots of maintenance? And have big ongoing consumables costs?

A. They used to, but not any more! As the greatest improvements, these are actually now strengths, along with robustness (eg, from hermetically sealed print-heads).

Q. What is laser technology best suited for?

A. Laser is perfect for permanent marks where presentation is critical, such as wine, and in high-volume applications where its higher capital cost is balanced by lower ongoing operational costs (think two shifts/day with production rates of 100+ products/min). However, technology improvements and lasers launched for niche markets are making lasers available to lower-volume manufacturers, too.

Q. Do lasers work on anything?

A. Because they don’t use consumables, laser coding is best read when there’s a contrast between the substrate’s outermost colour and the layer revealed.

Q. What are some of the common applications for inkjet?

A. Drop-on-demand (DOD) large character inkjets are commonly used in secondary packaging, fibre cartons and shrink wrap, say for product descriptions and batch numbers on cartons. Continuous inkjet (CIJ) excels in uses for small character text and primary packaging at high speeds (such as use-by dates and batch numbers on products); while high-res inkjet is typically used for graphics and human-readable text, generally on secondary fibre packaging or letter addressing. Due to advances in ink technology, they are also being used in primary-packaging applications.

Q. Can inkjets barcode?

A. Yes, they can; however, retailers don’t favour GS1-128 or ITF-14 barcodes printed with any inkjet technology directly on shipper cartons. Label print and apply is an option here.