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Fixed Array Print Technology Looking at what could be the next step in wide-format printing Ray Work, Ph.D., heads Work Associates, a consultant firm specializing in inkjet print- ing technologies, applications and markets. He worked for more than 28 years in research, research management, business development and business management with DuPont. Dr. Work holds a Ph.D. in physical inorganic chemistry from the University of New Orleans. He can be reached via e-mail at workassociates@ comcast.net, or visit his Web site www.workassoc.com. B y R a y W o R k , P h . D . ink Ink DIGITAL PRINTING AND FINISHING DIGITAL GRAPHICS In fixed array systems a stationary printhead spans the width of the media, and the media moves underneath the printhead in a single pass. Memjet developed a commercial high speed 42"-wide fixed array system called "Waterfall" printhead technol- ogy, and has partnered with companies including Océ (ColorWave 900), Xante (Excelagraphix 4200), Own- X (Widestar 2000) and Fuji Xerox (printer to launch later this year). Now HP has announced and shown a prototype printer applying their PageWide technology to 40" wide-format printing. HP says that next year the company will offer a line of these extremely high productivity water-based printers aimed at technical and engineering applica- tions as a color alternative to wide-format LED toner- based printers. Here we will discuss some of what it takes to make this technology happen with particular focus on the ink and media technology. The Drops Moving from a scanning array to a fixed array printing system is a huge technology move. Scanning allows ink to be printed with adjacent drops printed in different scans and color next to color printed when A rray printing technology—as exemplified by the Durst (Quadro Array) and Inca Digital in UV-curing grand-format printers—provides a marked improvement in printing speed, bringing wide-format inkjet evolution further into the world of traditional short-run printing. Now the next step is upon us. As I speculated in an earlier article ("Full-Width Array Print Technology," SDG Jan. 2013) with the introduction of the fixed array HP Pro-X single-pass desktop inkjet page printer, it would only be a matter of time before HP applied their PageWide print array technology to wide-format printing with fixed arrays. HP's PageWide technol- ogy will soon be applied to a line of large-format water-based single-pass printers. (Image courtesy of Hewlett-Packard) 54 • September 2014 • S I G N & D I G I T a L G R a P h I C S