Dot's Okay - Output Devices for Proofing

Inkjet 101

Frances Cicogna, packaging segment manager, North America, Agfa Corp., says that the inkjet market has been evolving rapidly. According to Cicogna, Agfa has found a way to produce a true color halftone dot using variable piezo inkjet DOD technology. (A word of explanation: Inkjet can be piezo electric drop-on-demand (DOD) or thermal. In piezo DOD, a piezo element (crystal) deforms in a chamber under an electric charge, mechanically pushing out the ink. By permitting larger and smaller drops to form, piezo inkjet provides better control of ink delivery and gray scale elements. Piezo heads are also more durable than thermal heads, which wear out with repeated heating of nozzles.)