Best Industrial Printheads & Their Applications

If you use industrial printers as part of your business, it’s important to choose the highest quality printheads to get the best results, but knowing how to choose a printhead can be complicated. Below, our industrial printhead experts share their picks for the top industrial inkjet printheads, along with the applications they are best suited for and some basics specs to help you make your purchasing decision.

Kyocera KJ4B

Kyocera industrial printheads in this series are popular for machines used for print textile applications. The KJ4B series was designed to accommodate high speed printing using water-based inks. In addition to textiles, these printheads can be used for transaction printing, document printing, and MICR printing. Internal filters eliminate foreign objects in the ink and a unique ink channel design ensures a stable ink supply. It also features an internal heater that adjusts based on the external temperature.

Maximum Print Speed: 75 to 120 (depending on model)

Average Cost: $5,900 to $6,500 (depending on model)

Ink Type: Aqueous ink

Drop Volume: 5, 7, 12, and 18pL

Dimatix Starfire

The most common application for the Dimatix Starfire is in large format printers that use UV inks, although the industrial printheads in this line are highly versatile. Each includes VersaDrop binary and grayscale jetting and continuous ink recirculation with RediJet technology. 

Maximum Print Speed:

Average Cost: $3,300 to $3,880 (depending on model)

Ink Type: UV-curable, organic solvents, aqueous inks, oil-based ceramic inks (depending on model)

Drop Volume: 12 to 80pL(depending on model)

Toshiba CE4M

This printhead is commonly used in flatbread printers that use UV inks. This on-demand piezoelectric industrial inkjet printhead is ideal for industrial applications that demand a high print quality. What makes the Toshiba CE4M unique is that it has grayscale print head technology that allows it to jet multiple drops within one dot, which means an image can have 16 levels of gray. It’s designed with complete sealing for easy temperature control and has four ink inlet ports and a chassis, providing a built-in water channel.

Maximum Print Speed:

Average Cost: $950

Ink Type: Oil-based pigment ink and UV-curable pigment ink

Drop Volume: 5 to 35pL

Xaar 1003

If you use your industrial printer for labels and ceramic/floor printing, the Xaar 1003 printhead is a popular choice. The Xaar 1003 offers exceptional image quality and productivity, with High Laydown Technology that gives any printer the ability to achieve high production levels at any printing mode.

Maximum Print Speed:

Average Cost: $1,890 to $3,799 (depending on model)

Ink Type: Solvent, UV-curable pigment ink, oil-based pigment ink (depending on model)

Drop Volume: 6 to 160pL (depending on model)

Ricoh GEN5

Ricoh GEN5 printheads are workhorses when it comes to industrial printheads, designed with robustness and longevity in mind. They are used in the latest industrial inkjet printers, with a lengthy list of compatible models.

Maximum Print Speed:

Average Cost: $2,350 to $3,150 (depending on model)

Ink Type: UV ink, water inks (depending on model)

Drop Volume: 7 to 35pL

Learn More About Industrial Printheads

At All Print Heads, we carry the best industrial printheads on the market. Contact us today at sales@signprintparts.com to learn more or speak with one of our printing industry experts.