Professional industrial inkjet printer manufactuers.
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Professional industrial inkjet printer manufactuers.
Modern production lines require much more than simple date printing.
Food manufacturers may need to print production dates, expiry dates and batch numbers. Pharmaceutical companies may require serial numbers, QR codes and traceability information. Electronics manufacturers often need model numbers, barcodes and unique identification codes.
As the amount of information increases, the required printing area also becomes larger.
A multi-head TIJ online inkjet printer with 1–6 selectable printheads provides a flexible solution. Instead of using a fixed printing height, manufacturers can choose the number of printheads according to the size and complexity of the required message.
Each TIJ printhead provides a print height of 12.7 mm. Multiple printheads can be combined to create a larger printing area.
This modular design makes the printer suitable for applications ranging from simple date coding to large-format variable-data printing.
What Is a Multi-Head TIJ Online Inkjet Printer?
TIJ stands for Thermal Inkjet.
A TIJ online inkjet printer is normally installed directly on a conveyor or automated production line. As the product passes the printing position, a sensor detects it and triggers the printhead.
The printer can print fixed or variable information without contacting the product surface.
Typical printing content includes:
Production dates, expiry dates, batch numbers, serial numbers, QR codes, Data Matrix codes, barcodes, logos and variable database information.
A multi-head TIJ system uses the same basic printing principle but allows several printheads to work together.
The main advantage is that manufacturers can increase the available printing height without changing to a completely different printing technology.
How Does 1–6 Printhead Splicing Work?
Each printhead provides 12.7 mm of printing height.
When several heads are precisely aligned, their print areas can be combined vertically.
The nominal combined printing heights are:
| 1 Head | 12.7 mm |
| 2 Heads | 25.4mm |
| 3 Heads | 38.1mm |
| 4 Heads | 50.8mm |
| 5 Heads | 63.5mm |
| 6 Heads | 76.2mm |
The basic calculation is simple:
Number of printheads × 12.7 mm = nominal combined print height
For example:
3 × 12.7 mm = 38.1 mm
6 × 12.7 mm = 76.2 mm
This gives manufacturers a scalable printing platform.
1 Head: 12.7 mm for Basic Coding
A single printhead is suitable for compact coding applications.
Typical printing content includes:
MFG: 2026/08/31
EXP: 2027/08/31
or:
LOT: A260831
SN: 260831001
This configuration is suitable for small cartons, labels, cosmetic packaging, food boxes and other products where only a few lines of information are required.
The main advantage of a one-head configuration is simplicity.
Installation is easier, the required printing space is small, and the system is suitable for factories that mainly print dates, batch numbers or simple product codes.
3 Heads: 38.1 mm for Multi-Line Information
Three printheads provide a nominal combined print height of 38.1 mm.
This larger area allows the printer to handle more complex information.
For example:
MODEL: DH-1200
LOT: A1B2C3D4E5
MFG: 2026/08/31
EXP: 2027/08/31
SN: 260831001
QR Code
This configuration is especially useful for pharmaceutical packaging, electronics packaging, food cartons and industrial products that require both human-readable information and machine-readable codes.
Compared with a single head, the larger print area provides more freedom to arrange text and QR codes without reducing their size too much.
6 Heads: 76.2 mm for Large-Format Coding
Six printheads provide a nominal combined print height of 76.2 mm.
This configuration is designed for products that need a large information area.
Typical applications include large cartons, industrial bags, logistics packaging and packaging that requires complete traceability information.
A typical six-head message may contain:
Product Name
Model Number
Batch Number
Production Date
Expiry Date
Serial Number
Traceability Code
QR Code
Barcode
Instead of compressing all information into a small printing area, the six-head system gives the manufacturer more space to create a clear and readable layout.
Why Printhead Splicing Is Useful
The biggest advantage of printhead splicing is not simply larger printing.
It is flexibility.
A company may need only one head for one production line but three heads for another.
Another product may require six heads because the packaging contains more information.
With a modular TIJ system, the manufacturer can choose a configuration based on the actual production requirement.
This is particularly useful for factories that produce many different SKUs.
Printing QR Codes and Barcodes
QR codes and barcodes require sufficient physical size and print quality to remain readable.
If a manufacturer tries to place several lines of text and a large QR code within a very small printing height, the final layout may become difficult to scan.
Using several printheads provides more vertical space.
For example, a three-head configuration can place text on one side and a larger QR code on the other.
A six-head configuration can handle multiple text fields, QR codes and barcodes in one larger traceability panel.
Variable Data Printing
Another important application is variable data.
Variable data changes from one product to another.
Examples include:
Serial numbers, order numbers, unique QR codes, production timestamps and database information.
For example:
SN: 260831001
SN: 260831002
SN: 260831003
The printer can update the information as products move through the production line.
This is useful for product traceability, warehouse management and manufacturing data management.
Applications in the Food Industry
Food packaging is one of the most common TIJ applications.
Typical products include:
Cartons, snack bags, labels, paper boxes and flexible packaging.
Common printing content includes:
Production Date
Expiry Date
Batch Number
QR Code
Barcode
A one-head system may be enough for simple date coding.
A two- or three-head configuration may be more suitable when a QR code and several lines of text are required.
Applications in Pharmaceuticals
Pharmaceutical packaging often contains more traceability information.
Typical printing may include:
Batch No.
Expiry Date
Serial No.
UDI
QR Code
Data Matrix
A larger printing area is helpful because machine-readable codes should remain clear enough for reliable scanning.
Three or more heads can provide additional space for these applications.
Applications in Cosmetics
Cosmetics manufacturers commonly print on:
Face cream boxes, skincare packaging, perfume cartons, bottles and outer packaging.
Typical information includes:
Production Date
Batch Code
Barcode
QR Code
Logo
Different package sizes may require different printing heights.
A modular multi-head system helps the same printer platform adapt to multiple products.
Applications in Electronics
Electronics manufacturers often need more detailed product identification.
For example:
MODEL: FX-230
SN: 260831003
Trace Code
QR Code
These applications benefit from high-resolution printing and a flexible printing area.
A three- or six-head system can provide more space for detailed identification.
What Determines the Correct Number of Printheads?
More printheads do not automatically mean a better solution.
The correct configuration depends on:
Required print height, printing content, QR-code size, product dimensions, production speed, substrate and installation space.
A simple date code does not require six heads.
Likewise, a complex traceability panel may not fit comfortably within one head.
The best approach is to select the number of heads according to the actual sample.
Why Sample Testing Is Important
Before purchasing an industrial coding system, manufacturers should test their real product whenever possible.
A sample test can confirm:
Ink adhesion
Print clarity
Drying speed
QR-code readability
Barcode readability
Required printing height
Recommended number of printheads
This is especially important for plastic, coated packaging and other non-porous surfaces.
Conclusion
A 1–6 head TIJ online inkjet printer provides a flexible way to scale industrial printing.
One head provides 12.7 mm of printing height and is suitable for simple coding.
Three heads provide 38.1 mm, making them suitable for multi-line text, QR codes and traceability information.
Six heads provide 76.2 mm, offering a much larger area for complete product identification and industrial packaging.
The main advantage is scalability.
Manufacturers can choose the number of printheads according to current production requirements while keeping the same TIJ printing platform.
Professional industrial inkjet printer manufactuers.
Industrial Inkjet Printer
