Ink dropout is one of the most frequent—and frustrating—issues in digital inkjet printing. When the ink doesn’t eject properly, it can lead to banding, missing colors, or even a completely ruined print. The main causes can be divided into four categories:
Ink-Related Factors:Ink viscosity that is too high or too low, pigment settling, or incompatibility with printhead materials.
Equipment Factors:Clogged nozzles, unstable ink bag pressure, or poor sealing in the ink supply lines.
Substrate Factors:Surface energy, porosity, and chemical properties of different substrates directly affect ink adhesion. For example, polypropylene (PP) has a surface energy of only about 29 dyn/cm, while most water-based inks have a surface tension of around 35–45 dyn/cm. This mismatch can cause “false ink dropout.”
Solutions for Ink Dropout
Maintenance & Cleaning:Regularly clean printheads and ink supply lines; check ink bags and valves.
Ink Optimization:Choose inks compatible with printhead materials and maintain proper viscosity and particle stability.
Environmental Control:Maintain stable temperature and humidity, prevent dust contamination, and ensure smooth ink delivery.
Standardized Operation:Set up daily test routines to avoid operator-induced issues.
Substrate Adjustment:Select inks based on substrate properties, and when necessary, apply surface treatments (corona, flame, or coating) to improve adhesion and ink flow.
Ink Dropout Challenges Across Printhead Technologies
Scale buildup in nozzles from prolonged high temperatures.
Improper inks crystallizing
✔ Regular nozzle cleaning, immediate cleaning when clogs occur. ✔ Use heat-resistant, stable inks to prevent impurities or crystallization. ✔ Maintain stable temperature and humidity to prevent nozzle drying.
Large particles or high-viscosity inks building up.
Nozzles drying out when not in use.
Piezoelectric film damage causing unstable jetting.
Microbubbles forming during ejection and blocking nozzles.
✔ Use stable inks and keep the ink path clean to prevent impurities. ✔ Perform “moisture preservation” maintenance when the machine is idle; tightly seal ink tanks and keep minimal operation. ✔ Use “ink purge/air release” procedures to remove bubbles from the ink path.
Technical Note:
Thermal printheads require inks with strong heat resistance and anti-foaming properties, typically water-based dye or pigment inks.
With regular maintenance, proper environmental control, and professional ink formulations, dropout risks can be significantly reduced.
From Short-Term Fixes to Long-Term Prevention
Short-Term Fixes
Clean the printhead, replace ink, adjust temperature/humidity, or recalibrate printhead parameters.
Long-Term Prevention
Use professionally formulated inks designed for compatibility with your printhead technology and compliant with international environmental and green printing standards. Establish standardized operating procedures and maintenance plans to minimize dropout risks and boost overall production efficiency.
Customer Case Study: Solvent Ink Dropout Fix
One client using a piezo printhead with Eco Solvent Inkjet Ink experienced continuous ink dropout. After inspection, the cause was identified as a clogged printhead. We advised the client to follow this process:
Run a nozzle test to pinpoint clogging.
Manually wipe the printhead surface with lint-free cloth to avoid scratching nozzles.
Adjust machine parameters to optimize ink supply and jetting.
Perform automatic cleaning cycles via the printer’s software to clear the ink lines.
After completing the cleaning procedure, the client successfully resumed printing, with dropout issues fully resolved and print quality restored.
Ink dropout is common, but with proper control over ink quality, equipment maintenance, and printhead compatibility, print stability can be greatly improved. By combining professional ink formulations with technical processes, you can achieve both short-term printing success and long-term production stability—while lowering maintenance costs.
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