Ink Development

Specialized digital inkjet ink development services for any printhead technology

Our Ink Development Expertise

Our state-of-the-art laboratories and expert team can develop custom inks for virtually any digital printing application. From concept to production, we create the perfect ink solution for your specific requirements.

Custom Formulation Printhead Compatibility Quality Testing Technical Support

Printhead Technologies We Support

  • Piezo Drop-on-Demand
  • Thermal Drop-on-Demand
  • Continuous Inkjet
  • Valve Jet Technology

Supported Printhead & Digital Press Models

Thermal Inkjet (TIJ)

  • HP 45 / HP 45si

    Popular cartridges used with Kao SIGMA solvent ink (12-hour decap) and MAX2 pigment inks

  • Funai Long-throw Cartridges

    Optimized with Kao NEXXO solvent ink, ideal for printing on curved bottles and cans

Piezo Drop-on-Demand

  • Dimatix DMP / Colordyne

    Compatible with water-based and EB-curable inks

  • Konica Minolta KM-512 / KM-1024

    Used for EB-curable QUANTA EB inks

  • Kyocera Printheads

    Supported by QUANTA EB and water/solvent inks

Specialty Inks & Additives

Security Inks

  • UV (CM631)
  • IR (TWW1284)
  • UV red fluorescent (TWW1929)
  • Fluorescent blue/red (CM835/CM838)

Specialty Formulations

  • Conductive silver inks
  • Metallic-shine 'mirror-silver' inks
  • Bio-based Mineral-Oil-Free (MOF) inks
  • EB-curable inks

Coatings & Additives

  • Inkjet primers & clear coatings
  • CIJ replenisher & make-up fluids
  • Flush & cleaning solvents
  • Anti-static agents

Chemical Components & Formulations

Solvent Dispersants

  • HOMOGENOL L-18/28E/1820
  • DEMOL NL/RN-L
  • POIZ 520/521/530

Emulsifiers & Thickeners

  • LATEMUL E-1000A/E-108MB
  • EMULGEN A-60/B-66
  • EMANON 3299VB/3299RV

Vehicle Resins

  • RHEOMIDE S-2800
  • RHEOMIDE S-8200
  • RHEOMIDE S-8500

UV-Curable Inks

High-performance UV inks for industrial applications with excellent adhesion and durability.

Water-Based Inks

Environmentally friendly water-based formulations for various substrates and applications.

Security Inks

Specialized security and anti-counterfeiting ink solutions for high-value applications.

Stay Wet Inks

Specialized formulations for stamping and marking applications with extended open time and consistent performance.

Digital Inkjet Inks

Comprehensive range including spot colors, CMYK, invisible, and security inks for digital printing applications.

Mica Inks

Specialized magnetic and machine-readable formulations for security and identification applications.

Specialty Applications

Security & Anti-Counterfeiting

  • UV/IR invisible inks
  • Fluorescent formulations
  • Machine-readable codes
  • Taggant systems

Industrial Coding

  • Product identification
  • Batch coding
  • Expiry date marking
  • Barcode printing

Packaging & Labels

  • Flexible packaging
  • Labels & narrow-web
  • Cardboard & corrugated
  • Metal & glass containers

Printhead Technologies & Manufacturers

Continuous Inkjet (CIJ)

  • Kodak Versamark

    Full-color pigment/dye, security ink for labels, decor, direct-mail. Compatible with KA Collins water-based dyes/pigments, UV/IR invisible, fluorescent and security inks.

  • Videojet

    High-speed industrial coding and marking systems. Compatible with our custom formulations for various substrates.

  • Domino

    Industrial coding and marking solutions. Custom ink formulations for food-safe and industrial applications.

Piezo Drop-on-Demand

  • Fujifilm Samba

    High-resolution printhead technology. Compatible with our TESLA LED and QUANTA EB ink series.

  • Dimatix DMP

    Precision drop-on-demand technology. Compatible with water-based and EB-curable inks.

  • Konica Minolta

    KM-512/KM-1024 heads for EB-curable QUANTA EB inks. High-speed industrial applications.

Digital Press Systems

Web Press Systems

  • HP PageWide Web Press

    High-speed web printing with our custom ink formulations for various substrates.

  • Kodak Prosper

    Stream inkjet technology with our specialized ink solutions for high-volume printing.

  • Konica Minolta

    Web press systems compatible with our water-based and UV-curable ink formulations.

Sheetfed & Flexo Systems

  • Heidelberg

    Offset printing systems with our specialized coatings, UV/LED varnishes, and security spot inks.

  • Bobst

    Flexographic presses with our water, solvent, UV/LED, and eco-friendly ink solutions.

  • Mark Andy & Nilpeter

    Narrow-web flexo systems with our comprehensive range of ink formulations.

Ink Technology Series

UV & LED Curable

  • TESLA LED Series

    High-performance LED-curable inks for industrial applications. Compatible with Fujifilm Samba and other piezo printheads.

  • ULTRA UV Series

    Advanced UV-curable formulations for high-speed printing applications.

  • QUANTA EB Series

    Electron beam curable inks for flexible packaging and industrial applications.

Solvent & Water-Based

  • SIGMA Solvent Series

    High-performance solvent inks for HP 45/45si cartridges with 12-hour decap time.

  • NEXXO Series

    Odor-free solvent inks optimized for Funai long-throw cartridges, ideal for curved surface printing.

  • LUNAJET Series

    Water-based formulations for high-quality graphics and packaging applications.

LUNAJET Technology - Revolutionary Water-Based Inkjet Innovation

LUNAJET Technology Overview

Discover the latest breakthrough in water-based inkjet ink technology with LUNAJET, the first water-based, pigmented nano-technology inkjet ink designed specifically for flexible film substrates.

Environmental Innovation

The latest breakthrough in water-based inkjet ink technology involves the development of LUNAJET Ink, the first water-based, pigmented nano-technology inkjet ink of its kind. LUNAJET was designed specifically for flexible film substrates and has a low environmental impact.

With extremely low amounts of volatile organic compounds (VOC) emissions, LUNAJET is a safe and eco-conscious ink that addresses environmental issues from four different perspectives: work environment safety, safe materials, resource conservation, and CO2 reduction.

High Reliability

Stable jetting performance in dry environments

High Image Quality

Excellent results on various media types

Wide Applications

Adaptable to various ink formulations

🍃

Eco-Friendly

Low VOC emissions, safe materials

Nano Dispersion Technology

Pigment nano dispersion technology achieved by originally designed functional polymers to encapsulate the surface of nano-sized pigments, ensuring stability and preventing aggregation.

Three-Layer Stabilization

Pigments encapsulated by polymers are made of three layers that stabilize the dispersion, avoiding aggregation together and maintaining reliable jetting performance.

Wide Range Compatibility

Adaptable to various ink formulations from highly hydrophilic to highly hydrophobic conditions, making it suitable for both commercial and industrial printing applications.

Visit KaoCollins LUNAJET Page (Opens in new tab)

Learn more about LUNAJET technology from our partner KaoCollins

NEXXO Solvent Ink Technology

🎯 Long Throw Distance Technology

NEXXO Solvent Ink is specifically designed for Funai systems with exceptional long throw distance capabilities, making it ideal for printing on curved surfaces such as bottles and cans.

This advanced formulation delivers superior performance in challenging applications where traditional inks may struggle with distance and surface adhesion requirements.

Long Throw

Extended distance printing capability

Curved Surfaces

Optimized for bottles and cans

Funai Compatible

Designed for Funai systems

High Performance

Superior adhesion and durability

Technical Features

Extended Throw Distance

Specially formulated for long-distance printing applications

Curved Surface Optimization

Excellent adhesion on bottles, cans, and other curved substrates

Funai System Compatibility

Optimized for Funai long-throw cartridge technology

Superior Adhesion

Enhanced bonding properties for challenging substrates

Beverage Containers

Ideal for printing on glass bottles, aluminum cans, and plastic beverage containers with excellent adhesion and durability.

Product Marking

High-quality marking and coding on curved surfaces for product identification, batch codes, and expiry dates.

Industrial Applications

Suitable for various industrial marking applications where long throw distance and curved surface printing are required.

🍽️ Food Packaging and Food Label Inks

Consumer Attention & Visual Appeal

Catching the consumer's attention and creating visual appeal with product packaging is critical in today's competitive marketplace. Kao Collins produces inks for printing directly on food packaging or on food labels.

These food-grade ink formulations should be evaluated for possible migration by testing the packaging substrate that will be printed.

Key Benefits

Fast curing or drying
Vibrant colors
Print on films, foils, flexible packaging
Extremely low VOCs

Food Safety Features

Food-grade formulations
Migration testing compatibility
Regulatory compliance
Safe for direct food contact

Marking and Coding Non-Porous & Porous Food Packaging

Kao Collins produces both solvent inks and water-based inks for inkjet marking and coding on food packaging. The best choice of inkjet ink for your application depends on the food packaging material(s) and your requirements for ink performance.

Solvent Inks (TIJ)

Kao Collins produces a number of solvent inks that offer high performance for both HP and Funai printing systems, including optimal printing results for marking and coding food products that feature metals, glass, films, and other non-porous packaging substrates.

Key Benefits:

Industry-leading decap
Fast drying
Excellent adhesion
Long shelf life
Much lower VOC exposure (compared to CIJ)

💧 Water-Based Inks

Water-based formulations provide excellent performance for porous food packaging substrates, offering environmentally friendly solutions with low VOC emissions and excellent print quality.

Key Benefits:

Environmentally friendly
Low VOC emissions
Excellent for porous substrates
Food-safe formulations
Cost-effective solutions

Why Choose Us?

Expert Experience

Decades of experience in ink formulation

State-of-the-Art Lab

Advanced testing and development facilities

Quality Assurance

Rigorous testing and quality control

Quick Turnaround

Fast development and production cycles

Ready to Develop Your Custom Ink Solution?

Whether you need a new ink formulation or want to optimize an existing one, our team is ready to help you achieve the perfect solution for your application.