Inkjet Printer Cartridges

Inkjet printers have evolved with several variations on theme, namely - liquid inkjet, phase change inkjet, and continuous flow inkjet technologies to name but a few which are in current production. Each of these technologies will now be covered very briefly. Some inkjet printers make use of liquid inkjet technology - this make use of the fact that tiny droplets of ink can be squirted onto the page under the application of an appropriate electrical signal. This squeezing process can either be carried out bt an application of heat (expansion of the ink) or pressure (caused by a piezo-electric crystal). These printers are known as bubble jet printers.

The first method is a system in which the ink in the printer cartridge is heated up very quickly by a coil or resistor. Just a few msec or less quickly vaporises a small quantity of ink and a bubble forms, thus forcing a droplet of ink out of the printer cartridge nozzle. The capillary action makes sure that the ink does not come out of the nozzle under normal circumstances. The second method is very similar in principle, a piezo-electric crystal is used. When the crystal has a voltage applied across it it deforms and applies pressure to the ink. When no voltage is applied no extra pressure is applied to the ink and again capillary action makes sure that the ink does not come out of the nozzle.

Phase Change Printer Cartridges

Inkjet technology relies on the fact that some inks change phase from solid to liquid when heated up and melted - the ink the solidifies again when cooled down as it reaches with the paper, and is then further processed by being pressed onto the paper by cold fusion rollers.

Continuous Flow Printer Cartridges

Continuous Flow technology continually squirts ink from the printer cartridge nozzle whether it is needed or not! To save it splattering all over the page the ink is charged up electrostatically and then diverted back into the printer cartridge reservoir or allowed to be sprayed on the page according to the magnitude of a voltage on deflection plates through which the squirted ink is passing. It operates like the deflection on a electron beam in a raster scam monitor - however, the stream of ink is being deflected instead of the electron beam.

You my be wondering why there is such a plethora of different mechanisms and methods regarding non-laser colour printing technology. The main reason is that manufacturers are constantly trying to find smaller, cheaper and faster ways to produce colour printers. Indeed, they have been very successful indeed over the last couple of years, and reasonable quality colour printers are now available for a hundred pounds - something that would have been unthinkable 10 years ago.