When it comes to printing 2D barcodes such as QR codes onto packaging, Thermal inkjet (TIJ) printheads have a lot going for them. They can print quickly, with very high resolution and superb print quality. The low maintenance and reduced downtime offered by this technology make the printheads a serious option, even though the ink may cost more than other print solutions.
When it comes to printing the new GS1 digital link QR codes onto packaging, thermal inkjet printers have traditionally had one disadvantage. That is the maximum height of the print or the print swath has been 12 millimeters or about half an inch. The GS1 digital link barcodes tend to need to be bigger than that. Meaning either TIJ technology can’t be used or two printheads have to be stitched together to build the print image. Not the best solution.
That situation is changing, though. The two main suppliers of thermal inkjet technology, HP and Brady (formerly Funai), are addressing the problem with new products that have a wider print swath and, as a bonus, longer throw distance.
A good example of a thermal inkjet printer built on these new platforms is the new Domino Gx-Series PRO Printhead.
Domino launches Gx-Series PRO Printhead ahead of GS1 Digital Link transition
Domino has introduced its Gx-Series PRO, a new thermal inkjet (TIJ) printhead built specifically around the demands of GS1 Digital Link and variable 2D barcode printing. The timing is deliberate: with Sunrise 2027 becoming a reality, manufacturers are under real pressure to upgrade their coding infrastructure to handle larger, more complex codes at industrial speeds.
The Gx-Series PRO offers a 23 mm print height (Domino doesn’t say, but I assume it’s the new HP print technology), high optical density, and what Domino describes as long throw distance, making it suited to high-throughput food packaging lines, fresh and chilled products, pharmaceuticals, and direct-to-box applications. The headline claim is the ability to produce crisp, high-contrast GS1 2D codes without sacrificing line speed.
Three areas appear to be the main focus. On waste reduction, the printhead supports dynamic pricing, automated expiry checks, and faster recall processes by embedding best-before and batch data directly in each 2D code. Paired with Domino Automation, the company’s centralized label management software, this is intended to catch errors before print rather than after.
Speed and inline verification are handled when integrated with Domino’s R-Series smart vision system, which checks every code as it is printed. On environmental compliance, Domino is developing both water-based and solvent-based food packaging inks manufactured to EuPIA Good Manufacturing Practice (GMP) guidelines.
James Gibbins, Global Thermal Inkjet Product Manager at Domino, called the GS1 Digital Link transition “arguably one of the most significant shifts in variable data coding” and positioned the Gx-Series PRO alongside the R-Series as a single-supplier solution for coding, verification, and data management.
For manufacturers investigating how to meet 2D coding requirements and other variable data printing, the Gx-Series PRO is an interesting new contender.
