solid ink

Solid ink (also known as hot melt ink ) is a type of ink used in printing. Solid ink is a waxy, resin-based polymer that must be melted prior to usage, unlike conventional liquid inks. The technology is used most often in graphics and large-format printing environments where color vividness and cost efficiency are important.

Solid ink (also known as hot melt ink ) is a type of ink used in printing. Solid ink is a waxy, resin-based polymer that must be melted prior to usage, unlike conventional liquid inks. The technology is used most often in graphics and large-format printing environments where color vividness and cost efficiency are important. ==Advantages== Due to the way solid ink printers put the ink onto the page, print quality is considered to be precise and accurate, with bright colors. Excellent results can be achieved with low-quality stock, as the Solid ink covers the stock with a glossy, almost opaque, surface. Solid ink printers are able to print on many different types and thicknesses of media. They are much less sensitive to changes in media type than are color laser printers. Because solid blocks of ink are used, there is less waste generated than is with laser printers or inkjet printers, which produce empty ink or toner cartridges, in addition to packaging and packing materials. A loose ink block does not leave any residual cartridge after it is consumed – only a crushable, thin, plastic packing bag or tray and a recyclable cardboard packaging box. Solid ink printers have an advantage over ink-jet printers for situations involving intermittent use with long periods of downtime. This is because melted solid ink that has subsequently cooled and re-solidified inside the ink-delivery pathways is a normal part of printer operation. So, this cooled-and-solidified ink does not dry out. And, while the printer is not operating, the solidified wax helps to prevent oxygen and moisture from interacting with many internal parts of the ink-delivery components. Solid ink blocks can be made non-toxic and safe to handle. In the 1990s, the president of Tektronix ate a piece of solid ink, derived from food-grade processed vegetable oils, to demonstrate their safety. It may also be described like the coating on prescribed pills.

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