Print Head Tester (PHT): Advanced Waveform Editing, Static Fire Production Press Simulation, Modular Ink System & Ink Degassing

Edit waveforms. Simulate production-press firing conditions. Test ink before production. Optimize industrial inkjet performance.

What if you could evaluate ink performance under production-representative firing conditions without using your production printer? The Print Head Tester (PHT) by Digital Sign Technologies Inc. (DST) provides an independent industrial inkjet testing platform that combines printhead verification with advanced ink evaluation.

The PHT offers four additional capabilities: (1) optional Waveform Editing, (2) Static Fire Production Press Simulation, (3) Modular Ink System, and (4) optional Ink Degassing. Together, they support ink manufacturers, printer OEMs, R&D laboratories and printing companies in investigating ink jetting before production.

What Is the Print Head Tester (PHT)?

The Print Head Tester (PHT) is an advanced industrial inkjet testing system that independently tests and verifies printhead performance in less than 3 minutes, without installing the printhead into a production printer.

Beyond fast and accurate printhead testing, the PHT offers advanced capabilities for industrial inkjet ink testing, optimization, and quality control, including:

• Advanced Waveform Editing (optional add-on): Adjust and optimize supported printhead firing waveforms to evaluate ink jetting performance and droplet formation.

• Static Fire Production Press Simulation: Simulate production-press firing conditions directly on the PHT to test ink performance without using a production printer.

• Modular Ink System: Test printhead performance with different inks without the need to drain, flush, or replace ink in the same ink system. Each ink is housed in a separate ink system, allowing users to easily switch between inks, evaluate printhead compatibility and printing performance with different formulations, and efficiently test and compare multiple inks.

• Ink Degasser (optional add-on): Remove dissolved gases and air bubbles from ink to improve jetting stability and testing consistency.

Together, these capabilities make the PHT a comprehensive solution for printhead testing, advanced ink evaluation, production-press firing simulation, and industrial inkjet quality control. Waveform Editing and Ink Degassing are available as optional additional functionality.

1. Waveform Editing (Optional): Optimize Inkjet Droplet Formation

Waveform Editing is an optional additional PHT functionality. A printhead waveform controls the electrical actuation that ejects ink droplets. Waveform settings can affect droplet formation, velocity, consistency, satellite droplets and jetting stability. Since ink formulations differ in viscosity, surface tension and other properties, a waveform suitable for one ink may not be ideal for another.

With the optional Waveform Editing functionality, users can adjust supported printhead firing waveforms and evaluate their impact on ink performance, exploring suitable operating settings for specific ink and printhead combinations.

What can waveform editing help evaluate?

• Droplet formation, ejection and jetting consistency

• Response of different inks to waveform adjustments

• Jetting stability under different supported firing parameters

• Ink development, printer development and technical troubleshooting

Why it matters: Optional Waveform Editing controls how the printhead fires; the next capability, Static Fire Testing, helps evaluate how ink behaves when selected firing conditions are applied.

2. Static Fire Testing: Simulate Production-Press Firing Conditions

Static Fire Testing is a core ink-testing function of the PHT. It enables users to configure printhead firing behavior representative of a target industrial inkjet production press, so ink can be evaluated directly on the Print Head Tester rather than on the complete production machine.

How does static fire ink testing work?

Using a compatible, known-good printhead, the operator selects relevant firing parameters for the intended production application. The PHT tests the ink under those configured conditions, enabling investigation of jetting response and stability during production-representative firing demands.

Why simulate production-press firing?

An ink may perform adequately during a short nozzle check yet behave differently under sustained or demanding firing conditions. Static Fire Testing helps investigate nozzle dropout, intermittent jetting, unstable droplet formation and other ink-related performance problems before introducing an ink into production.

• Simulate supported industrial production-press printhead firing conditions

• Compare ink candidates during static fire tests

• Stress-test ink jetting under relevant firing frequencies and demands

• Support ink formulation development, qualification and quality control

• Reduce the need to interrupt production for preliminary ink trials

Technical distinction: The PHT simulates a press’s printhead firing conditions; it does not reproduce the entire press, including substrate transport, drying or curing systems. Simulation suitability depends on supported printheads and accurately configured parameters.

3. Modular Ink System: Test Various Inks on One Platform

Ink producers and industrial printing businesses frequently evaluate multiple formulations, colours, suppliers and production batches. The PHT’s Modular Ink System provides a flexible way to test various inks on the same platform instead of relying on a separate dedicated system for each ink.

Each ink is housed in its own dedicated ink system, so users can switch between inks without draining, flushing, or replacing ink in a shared system. This simplifies evaluation of how the same printhead prints with different inks, as well as testing and comparing multiple ink formulations.

• Evaluate new ink formulations and batches

• Compare inks from different suppliers

• Support multiple R&D and quality-control projects

• Reduce setup complexity for workflows involving various inks

Why it matters: Separate ink systems make it easier to evaluate printhead performance with different inks without repeated ink changes in a shared system.

4. Ink Degassing (Optional): Remove Air Bubbles for Consistent Testing

The Ink Degasser is an optional add-on for the PHT. Air bubbles and dissolved gases can interfere with ink supply and printhead jetting, producing missing nozzles, unstable performance or misleading results. When equipped with the optional Ink Degasser, the PHT can reduce dissolved gas and entrained air in ink before it reaches the printhead.

Ink degassing helps reduce an important source of test variability: differences between test results should reflect the ink and configured test conditions, rather than avoidable air-related disturbances.

• Help remove dissolved gases and air bubbles

• Reduce air-related interruptions in nozzle operation

• Support stable ink delivery and repeatable testing

• Help distinguish genuine ink-performance issues from air-related test artifacts

Four Capabilities, One Advanced Industrial Ink-Testing Platform

Who Benefits from Advanced PHT Ink Testing?

Ink manufacturers

Evaluate new formulations, compare ink performance and investigate jetting reliability before customer deployment.

Printer manufacturers and OEMs

Explore ink performance with compatible printhead technologies and firing settings representative of target applications.

Industrial printing companies

Prequalify alternative inks or batches without unnecessarily occupying a production printer.

R&D laboratories

Conduct controlled experiments involving optional waveform parameters, production-representative firing, ink formulation and, when equipped with the optional degasser, gas-related variables.

Why Test Ink Before Production?

Introducing unverified ink into a production system can contribute to downtime, print-quality variation, material waste and added maintenance. Independent testing helps reduce uncertainty by allowing businesses to investigate jetting behavior before committing to full-scale trials. A practical workflow is: optionally edit waveforms → simulate firing conditions → compare ink formulations → optionally degas ink → review results.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the Print Head Tester (PHT), and how does it work?

The Print Head Tester (PHT) is an independent, off-press industrial inkjet testing system. It produces a physical nozzle test to verify compatible printhead performance in less than 3 minutes. It also offers additional capabilities for evaluating ink jetting behavior.

Can the PHT test industrial inkjet printheads in less than 3 minutes?

Yes. The PHT can test supported industrial inkjet printheads in less than 3 minutes, allowing operators to check nozzle performance without installing the printhead in a production printer.

Can the PHT simulate production-press firing conditions for ink testing?

Yes. Static Fire Testing can reproduce selected printhead firing conditions representative of a target production press, using a compatible printhead and suitable settings. It simulates firing demands, not every mechanical or printing process of the complete press.

What is Static Fire Testing, and why is it useful for ink evaluation?

Static Fire Testing exercises a compatible printhead using configured firing conditions to evaluate ink jetting behavior. It helps users investigate jetting stability, nozzle dropouts and related issues before trialing ink on production equipment.

Does the PHT offer Waveform Editing for inkjet optimization?

Yes. Waveform Editing is an optional additional functionality. It allows users to adjust supported firing waveforms and study their effects on droplet formation and jetting performance for different ink formulations.

How does the Modular Ink System test different inks without flushing one ink system?

Each ink is housed in a separate dedicated ink system. Users can switch between these systems to evaluate how a printhead prints with different inks, without draining, flushing or replacing ink within a shared ink system. The modular approach also allows testing and comparison of multiple inks.

What is the purpose of the PHT Ink Degasser?

Ink Degassing is an optional additional functionality. The degasser removes dissolved gases and air bubbles from ink, helping reduce gas-related jetting interruptions and improve the consistency of testing.

Can the PHT evaluate ink without using a production printer?

Yes. With a compatible, known-good printhead, the PHT provides an independent ink-evaluation environment. Static Fire Testing, the Modular Ink System, and optional Waveform Editing and Ink Degassing support ink development, comparison and quality control.

Conclusion: Advanced Ink Testing Without Tying Up Production

The Print Head Tester combines Static Fire Production Press Simulation and a Modular Ink System, with optional Waveform Editing and optional Ink Degassing, in one industrial inkjet testing platform. These capabilities support ink formulation development, ink qualification and ink evaluation, helping users make more informed decisions before production.

Edit waveforms (optional). Simulate production-press firing. Test your ink. Optimize jetting performance.

Learn More

• Print Head Tester: www.PrintHeadTester.com

• Ink Tester: www.InkTester.ai

• Digital Sign Technologies Inc. — Contact the team to discuss supported printheads, ink-testing requirements and PHT configurations.