Which ink type fits my substrate (plastic, glass, carton)?

Pick ink by substrate: fast-dry for non-porous plastic, metal and glass; standard for porous carton and paper; pigment for colored or recycled surfaces; food-grade or low-migration for eggs and pharma. Matching ink to material is the difference between a mark that bonds and one that smears or flakes.

SHICAI will specify the ink once you list your top substrates and speeds.

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.

Plan for GS1 Digital Link and 2D barcodes (retail mandates arriving 2027) so the line is not obsolete in two years.

Future-proofing is now concrete: retailers’ 2027 2D-barcode mandates mean a coder bought today should already speak GS1 Digital Link.

Key points:

• 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.
• 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.

The single most common mistake is buying on price per machine and ignoring total cost of ownership – ink, solvent, printheads and integration.

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.

Related: What does food-grade or pharmaceutical ink mean? · How do I choose between TIJ, CIJ, PIJ and laser?

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.