Inkjet print technology, being versatile and high resolution, has established itself in many segments of the industry. The global market of inkjet printer applications is worth $86.3 billion growing at an annual rate of 7.8%, where office document printing accounts for 32%, packaging printing accounts for 28%, and textile printing accounts for 19%, according to the Smithers 2023 report. In the office setup, to be specific, HP’s (HP) OfficeJet Pro series printers with black-and-white print speed of 35 ppm and combined cost of $0.015 / page, command 58% market share within the small and medium business segment, and use 65% less energy compared to laser printers. In 2022, 1.2 million inkjet printers installed in Amazon’s global logistics network will print 120 million shipping labels a day, with an error rate of 0.02% and a cost of printing one label as low as $0.003.
In packaging printing, uses of inkjet printers cause short version customized production. Epson SurePress L-6534VW model can achieve 1200×1200 DPI resolution and print variable data QR codes at 75 m/min on 99.7% yield corrugated paper. In 2023, Procter & Gamble (P&G) used HP PageWide T250M technology, which reduced batch switching time from 45 minutes to 30 seconds in the production of shampoo bottles, accurate ink penetration depth up to 3-5 microns, and reduced annual material loss by 1,200 tons. After the EU Green Packaging Directive was adopted, Coca-Cola’s European plants reduced VOC emissions from 120g/m³ to 5g/m³ through the use of water-based UV ink, reducing environmental compliance costs by 40%.
Textile printing is one of the fastest-growing applications. The Mimaki TS55-1800 model supports 8 color channels and 4 leather liters (pL) ink drops, achieving a color accuracy of ΔE≤1 on polyester fabrics, and improving production efficiency by 8 times compared to conventional screen printing. The worldwide digital textile printing output in 2022 was 970 million square meters, with 67% covered by inkjet technology, and the total overall water saving rate reached 95% (water consumption per meter of fabric 0.03L, original process needs 0.6L). After Nike had adopted the Kornit Atlas MAX model, the lead time for placing orders for custom sportswear was reduced from 21 days to 72 hours, the minimum order quantity was reduced to 1 piece, and inventory turnover was increased by 35%.
In manufacturing industries, inkjet printing revolutionizes the production of electronic circuits. Fujifilm’s Dimatix material deposition system prints silver paste circuits with 10-micron linewidth accuracy and resistance variation of ±3%, reducing 5G RF device development cycle by 40%. Tesla reported inkjet printer use in 2023 for battery pack identification using high-temperature (-40 ° C to 150 ° C) polyimide ink with character bonding to ISO 2409 Class 0 standards, reducing error traceability cost by 28%. In the medical field, the Stratasys J750 Digital Anatomy printer produces surgical models 16 microns thick, printing blood vessel structures at 98% accuracy and reducing preoperative planning time by 55%.
Architectural and aesthetic applications are also common. Canon Arizona 1350 models print aesthetic designs at 600×600 DPI ona 2.5-meter glass curtain wall and can pass QUV 3000 hours testing. In 2022, global production of ceramic inkjet printing tiles reached 1.2 billion square meters, the 91% market share rate of the high-end market, the depth of 20-50 microns ink penetration, and the glaze loss by 70% less. A pioneering building in Europe using Durst P5 equipment printed 3D three-dimensional cladding, wind pressure resistance of up to 5000Pa, maintenance cycle of 15 years.
New applications such as food printing are very promising. inkjet printer applications print edible designs onto pastry surfaces via soy-based inks (migration ≤0.01mg/kg), boosting yield from 78% to 99%. Japan 7-11 convenience stores in 2023 used 3,000 inkjet dessert printers, single-day output 1,200 pieces, and a personalized order premium rate of 30%. These facts support the cross-industry versatility and economic potential of inkjet technology.