Selecting the right coding technology depends on your product, production speed, substrate and budget. The table below compares the four most common industrial coding and marking technologies.
| Feature | TIJ (Thermal Inkjet) | CIJ (Continuous Inkjet) | Laser Marking | TTO (Thermal Transfer Overprinting) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Best For | Cartons, labels, plastics | Bottles, cans, cables, glass | Permanent marking on plastics, metal & glass | Flexible packaging films |
| Print Quality | ★★★★★ | ★★★★☆ | ★★★★★ | ★★★★★ |
| Maximum Speed | Medium | Very High | Very High | High |
| Maintenance | Low | Medium-High | Very Low | Low-Medium |
| Consumables | Ink Cartridge | Ink & Make-up, Service Kits | None | Ribbon |
| Permanent Mark | ✖ | ✖ | ✔ | ✖ |
| Barcode Printing | Excellent | Good | Excellent | Excellent |
| QR Codes | Excellent | Good | Excellent | Excellent |
| Logos & Graphics | Excellent | Good | Excellent | Excellent |
| Print on Curved Surfaces | Limited | Excellent | Excellent | No |
| Print on Flexible Film | Limited | Limited | No | Excellent |
| Running Cost | Low-Medium | Low | Very Low | Low |
| Initial Investment | Low | Medium-High | High | Medium |
| Downtime | Minimal | Scheduled servicing and Cleaning | Minimal | Minimal |
| Typical Industries | Food, Pharma, Cosmetics, Beverage and more | Beverage, Automotive, Manufacturing and more | Food & Beverage, Metal, Glass, Electronics, Medical, Automotive and more | Food Packaging, Snacks, Frozen Foods |
Which Technology Should You Choose?
| If you need… | Best Choice |
|---|---|
| High-resolution barcodes and QR codes | TIJ |
| High-speed production lines | CIJ |
| Permanent, maintenance-free marking | Laser |
| Printing on pouches and flexible packaging | TTO |
| Lowest upfront investment | TIJ |
| Lowest long-term operating cost | Laser |
| Printing on almost any surface | CIJ |
| Premium print quality on packaging films | TTO |
At Packtronic, we supply and support TIJ, CIJ, Laser and TTO printing systems. Our team can recommend the best solution based on your production environment, substrate, line speed and coding requirements.
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Packtronic Gauteng | enquiries@packtronic.co.za | +27 11 956-6692
Western Cape | admin.ct@packtronic.co.za | +27 61 899-3254