Near-Infrared (NIR) drying is an inkjet drying technology developed by SCREEN for the Truepress JET 520HD press that uses targeted near-infrared wavelengths to transfer heat directly into the printed ink layer rather than heating the substrate surface. In production-scale digital inkjet printing, NIR drying enables faster ink fixation, improved substrate stability, and reduced energy consumption during high-speed operation.
Why is Drying a Critical Process in Digital Inkjet Production?
Drying determines whether an inkjet press can operate at sustained production speeds without compromising image quality or dimensional stability. When aqueous inks are applied during high-speed printing, the water content must evaporate before the substrate reaches downstream finishing equipment. If drying occurs too slowly, image smearing or registration drift may result. If excessive heat is applied, substrates may distort the substrate or generate static electricity that can potentially disrupts inline finishing processes.
Effective production-scale inkjet systems then require drying technologies capable of balancing rapid moisture removal with substrate protection and energy efficiency under demanding long-term operations.
How Does NIR Drying Improve Inkjet Production Efficiency?
Near-infrared drying operates by penetrating the printed ink layer and transferring thermal energy directly into the liquid component of the ink rather than into the substrate surface. This approach allows moisture to evaporate from within the printed layer without unnecessarily heating the substrate.
This distinction becomes particularly important when printing at line speeds up to 150 metres-per-minute on a continuous inkjet printer, where substrate stability must be maintained across long production runs. By directing energy into the ink rather than the substrate, NIR drying reduces common printing defects from oversaturation or insufficient drying such as cockling, curling, and misregistration that may otherwise affect the final viability of the printed output during high DPI in printing applications.
How Does Inkjet Ink Influence Drying Energy Requirements?
Ink formulation directly affects how much thermal energy is required to complete the drying process. In inkjet systems where the majority use aqueous formulations, drying water consumes more energy as drying pigments or dyes. Removing large quantities of water therefore becomes a critical cost factor during industrial printing.
Truepress SC Inks used in Truepress JET production printers for commercial applications contains a higher pigment concentration than many comparable aqueous inkjet formulations. This reduced water content lowers the amount of thermal energy required to evaporate the liquid carrier during drying. In addition, the ability to print directly onto coated offset media without applying a primer reduces drying demand by approximately thirty percent in supported systems.
Together, these characteristics enable faster moisture removal during high-speed operation, while also contributing to reduced operational energy consumption and denser ink load and density in the final print.
How is NIR Drying Integrated into SCREEN Production Inkjet Systems?
Within production environments, NIR drying forms part of a complete digital inkjet printing platform that synchronises all the critical components of production printing including ink droplet jetting, substrate transport, and drying In SCREEN Truepress JET 250HD platforms, near-infrared drying supports consistent ink fixation across variable job lengths without slowing press throughput or increasing thermal stress on sensitive substrates or valuable ink heads.
As energy costs continue to rise across the commercial and packaging print sectors, drying efficiency has become a significant determinant of operational cost. Technologies such as NIR drying function not only as a core printing mechanism, but as key contributor to more sustainable production in modern digital inkjet manufacturing environments.