Q&A Around What is a High Throw Digital Printer

Derek LaChance is a name well known at Inkcups. Having started as an intern, he has been a key part of the team since 2006—nearly from the very beginning. Over the years, Derek has worn many hats and developed an in-depth expertise in digital printing technology. As the Digital Product Manager, Derek has an in-depth knowledge of Inkcups’ digital machines. He played a pivotal role in bringing the X5-HT from concept to reality. Today, he’s here to break down what high throw is and how a high throw digital inkjet machine stands apart from the rest.

But first, let’s look into the drive that Inkcups has had for the last 24 years and how its promise to continually innovate has shaped the industrial printing landscape.

Inkcups was founded in 2001 by Benjamin Adner, who started by selling his patented universal ink cups from his home. The company quickly expanded, supplying pad printers with high-quality inks before introducing a laser plate maker and manufacturing its first pad printer, the B100. From there, digital printing took off. In 2009, Inkcups pioneered direct-to-drinkware technology, setting the stage for continued innovation. Since then, we’ve brought several industry-firsts to market, including the Helix ONE—the first benchtop cylindrical inkjet printer—and the XJET Switch, the first direct-to-bag digital printer. And we’re just getting started! For a complete Inkcups history lesson, please visit Our History.

Enter high throw printing capabilities!

Q. What is High Throw?

A. High throw printing, refers to a specialized form of digital printing that utilizes a longer ink height distance between the printhead and the substrate. This also can be referred to as extended through or high drop printing.

Q. Why is High Throw important?

A. It’s all about the ability to throw the ink further. This capability opens up printing possibilities for objects with uneven surfaces.

Q. What are popular applications for high throw?

A. We see high throw printing being especially valuable for handled mugs, stress balls, and sports balls. These items, with their irregular surfaces, have traditionally been challenging to print on with conventional methods. Think of a pickle ball racket, this is a perfect example. The height of the handle and the height of the racket face are different heights, and this has to be factored in.

Q. Do you need a different ink for a high throw digital printer?

A. No, you don’t need different ink. The same formulations used in standard digital printing work perfectly fine for high throw applications. Remember that there is no universal ink for all applications and that this is dependent on the substrate, i.e. we have digital inks specifically for glass, or specifically for Triton, etc.

Q. On a curved surface, like a handled tumbler, how much of a wrap can you achieve?

A. You can achieve around 25% wrap with high throw printing technology. This is especially impressive when you can compare logo sizes side by side with what could be achieved prior to high throw capabilities.

Q. What makes Inkcups high throw printer stand out?

A. Between the X5-T High Throw‘s unique engineering to define high drop performance and Inkcups unparalleled commitment to offering global service and support, you have a machine like no other.

Q. Where do you see the most demand for a high throw printer?

A. We see the most demand from promotional product companies, industrial manufacturers, sports and leisure businesses, and injection molding operations producing items like hard hats. The electronics industry is also showing increasing interest. These diverse sectors are unified by their need to print on non-uniform surfaces, precisely the challenge that high throw printing is designed to address.

Inkcups solution to high throw digital printing is an enhancement feature for the exisiting X5-T UV flatbed printer. Offering all of the benefits of the tried and true X5-T, the X5-T with high throw capabilities can jet ink up to 15 mm and decorate 25% of the surface of curved items such as stress balls and mugs. This high throw digital printer is the best solution for printing on a wide variety of different products. For more information, please visit: X5-T Flatbed UV Digital Printer.