National Spanish Association of ceramic frits, glazes and pigments producers

Ceramic Inks

Inkjet technology ceramic inks are a new product that has been highly introduced in the ceramic Industry around the world since 2010. These inks were born thanks to the enamel and machinery Spanish companies, and their bet in R+D+I. The mechanism is very similar to the one of a paper ink printer (inkjet), and prints the tile without having any direct contact with the piece. That permits the decoration of any kind of tiles and low reliefs, minimizing the % of broken pieces, and allows the decoration of the 100% of the ceramic tile before being introduced in the furnace.

This new technology, much more versatile, permits the creation of completely different products, and a wider variety of decorative effects. The decoration of each piece can be completely personalized and customized, accurately reproducing the selected images. This gives the possibility of larger sized designs and increments the design possibilities, avoiding the repetitiveness of the pieces. Also gives a quality and definition than couldn’t be achieved with the previous traditional methods.

The process is completely computer- assisted and monitored. This way, the model changes are quicker since they go directly form the digital image to the printing machine, providing different products with optimum results, and a wider product variety while saving time and money. It’s also a very clean technology that makes the most of the product, does not generate additional waste, and does not need the use of additives. All these translates into a larger environmental and human labour protection.

However, the ceramic inks highly differ from inkjet conventional graphic decoration inks used on materials such as paper, plastic or textile. Ceramic inks pass through a posterior firing process together with the tile, and that requires the use of completely different raw materials, such as inorganic pigments, which are able to resist the high temperatures of the ceramic furnaces. These pigments are also highly resistant to the light and permit a large durability.