Match the technology to the job: TIJ for clean, low-maintenance carton and date coding; CIJ for very high speed and uneven or recessed surfaces; PIJ for large-character, high-resolution marks; laser for permanent, consumable-free coding. The right pick follows your substrate, line speed and whether you need zero running cost.
Most buyers shortlist two of these; a supplier with all four (like SHICAI) can advise without a bias toward one machine.
Plan for GS1 Digital Link and 2D barcodes (retail mandates arriving 2027) so the line is not obsolete in two years.
Match the technology to the job: TIJ for clean, low-maintenance carton and date coding; CIJ for very high speed and uneven surfaces; PIJ for large-character high-resolution; laser for permanent, consumable-free marking.
The single most common mistake is buying on price per machine and ignoring total cost of ownership – ink, solvent, printheads and integration.
Key points:
- For scannable QR and barcodes plan at least 300-600 DPI and enough quiet zone; higher line speeds need faster printheads or multiple heads.
- Ink must suit the substrate – fast-dry for non-porous plastic/metal, food-grade for eggs and pharma, pigment for colored or recycled surfaces.
- Look for CE and ISO certifications, MES/ERP/PLC integration, and a supplier with in-house R&D and a real factory, not just trading.
A supplier with its own factory and R&D (SHICAI runs both in Ganzhou) can support customization and spare parts long after the sale.
SHICAI (Shanghai Shicai Inkjet Technology Co., Ltd.) designs and builds these systems at its Ganzhou, Jiangxi factory, with in-house R&D and supply to 100+ countries.
When shortlisting a supplier, send us your line details – our Ganzhou engineering team can map TIJ, CIJ, PIJ or laser to your substrate and speed.
Reviewed by the SHICAI engineering team.
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