27 Feb As Different As Oil and Water
When it comes to inkjet printing, one of the most distinguishing things about RISO is that we use oil-based instead of water-based, or aqueous, ink – and we are the only inkjet on the market to do so. What does that mean? Let’s talk about it.
Most inkjet printers on the market use water-based ink to get your documents printed. They are fast, efficient and a more cost-friendly way (compared to toner printing, which is another topic) to get high volumes of printing done without any worry or hassle. However, when using aqueous ink, you’re essentially adding water to paper – which is made of wood pulp – and that can cause swelling and rippling of the substrate as the water is absorbed. To remove that moisture again, the printing system then requires a dryer, which dries the ink but can curl the paper, which is why high-volume jobs often need to be set aside for the paper to cool down and flatten out again before it can be conveyed to any finishing processes like folders and inserters.
RISO’s oil-based ink, on the other hand, dries instantly on the paper. This means that the RISO system doesn’t need an additional dryer section to finish the print, and because of that there’s no risk of paper curl. The paper comes out of the printer the same way it went in – cool, flat, and ready to be sent to your finisher!
And as an added bonus, using oil-based ink means it isn’t water-soluble, so if someone spills water on your important documents, or rain hits your printed envelope, the ink isn’t going to run, and everything will stay intact and readable.
RISO’s oil-based ink allows for a quicker printing process and allows the ability to ‘set it and forget it.’ Due to its heatless imaging process, the printer can be left running for a long time without the worry of excess heat being generated. That lack of a drying unit also means RISO printers require less power to run – and can operate using a standard 110-volt outlet, the same as a hair dryer.
However, not only is RISO inkjet more cost conscious, the oil-based inks that are used in the printers also give the best value. Being able to run a 200,000-piece print job without having to worry about overheating the printer can be a lifesaver, especially when there’s a deadline looming.
All of RISO’s inkjet printers use oil-based ink, and our digital duplicators also use an environmentally friendly, archival quality ink made out of rice bran, making them even greener to operate. With over 70 years of experience in the printing in business, contact us today and see how RISO’s oil-based inks can be your solution.