Drop-on-Demand (DoD) printing is an inkjet imaging method in which individual droplets of ink are generated and ejected from a printhead only when required to form an image. In production printing systems, this approach enables controlled ink deposition at industrial line speeds while minimising waste, supporting predictable ink consumption and consistent output across long digital print runs.
How Does Drop-on-Demand Printing Work in Industrial Inkjet Presses?
In production environments, DoD printing operates by generating droplets inside each inkhead nozzle only when triggered by incoming image data. The press software processes a design file through the print workflow, converting visual information into millions of discrete droplet placement instructions that are synchronised with substrate movement through printer.
In roll-fed production systems such as the SCREEN Truepress JET platform, the substrate may travel at speeds up to 225 metres-per-minute, so reliable production printing requires stable droplet placement under these conditions requires continuous coordination between waveform generation, substrate transport, and real-time press control.
Why Do Production Presses Use Piezoelectric Drop-on-Demand?
Industrial production inkjet presses typically rely on piezoelectric DoD technology rather than thermal droplet generation. In these systems, an electrical signal deforms a piezoelectric actuator within the nozzle chamber, displacing ink and ejecting a droplet without introducing heat.
Avoiding thermal stress allows production presses operating at native resolutions such from 600 dpi or full 1200 × 1200 dpi resolutions to sustain repeatable droplet formation across extended duty cycles. These characteristics become particularly important when operating under the sustained throughput requirements associated with a continuous inkjet printer, where droplet stability must be maintained over hours of uninterrupted production.
How Do Waveform and Data Management Influence DoD Print Quality?
Droplet size alone does not determine image quality in production DoD systems. Each droplet must also leave the nozzle at the correct velocity and trajectory while the substrate moves beneath the inkheads. Even minor variations in droplet timing can affect registration accuracy at production speeds.
Effective DoD systems such as the Truepress JET 560HDX depend on precise electrical waveform control that regulates droplet volume and velocity, synchronising ink jetting and substrate transport with accurate digital image processing during high DPI printing work. This level of precision equipment engineering and software development allows presses to maintain colour consistency, high resolutions, and accurate registration across various printing jobs while being integrateable into automated end-to-end printing workflow environments.
How is Drop-on-Demand Used in Modern Production Printing Systems?
Industrial DoD technology now forms the imaging foundation for high-speed roll-fed inkjet presses used in commercial and packaging production. Systems such as the Truepress JET 520NX AD and Truepress JET 560HDX combine piezoelectric droplet generation with real-time data handling to translate digital design files directly onto moving substrates.
In production environments, Drop-on-Demand technology is implemented in industrial inkjet presses designed for consistent operation, long service life, and predictable ink consumption. These systems translate the drop-on-demand technology into reliable daily performance across demanding food and drink or industrial label and packaging applications or various commercial printing work like books, magazines, or pharmaceutical leaflets.