Ink Tester: The Smartest Way to Prevent Ink-Related Print Failures

In industrial inkjet printing, ink quality is just as critical as printhead health. A single unstable batch can clog nozzles, distort colour, or shut down an entire production line – often before the root cause is even identified.

That’s why Digital Sign Technologies created the Ink Tester: a fast, AI-powered ink testing system that lets you evaluate ink performance before it reaches your presses.

The Ink Tester elevates ink testing from a slow, reactive process into a predictive quality-control workflow, giving manufacturers, R&D labs, and print operations total confidence in every batch.

What Is the Ink Tester?

The Ink Tester is a next-generation device designed to evaluate ink performance under real printing conditions. It delivers clear, visual results in minutes, allowing you to:

• Validate ink batches before production

• Stress-test new formulations or suppliers

• Detect clogging risks early

• Eliminate guesswork from ink evaluation

• Prevent printhead damage caused by unstable inks

The Ink Tester is a compact, AI-powered system built for demanding users who need speed, accuracy, and confidence in every result.

Instead of relying on assumptions, lab delays, or trial-and-error on a live press, you gain instant clarity – before ink ever touches production equipment.

Why Ink Testing Matters

Many print failures blamed on “bad heads” are actually caused by the ink:

• Contamination

• Improper viscosity or surface tension

• Chemical incompatibility

• Particle buildup

• Poor quality ingredients

• Expired ink

Without a dedicated ink testing system, teams often discover problems only after:

• A press is already running

• Print quality degrades

• Nozzles clog

• Downtime begins

The Ink Tester flips that model.

Instead of reacting to failure, you predict it.

You test ink before it enters production, ensuring only validated batches reach your machines.

How the Ink Tester Works

1. Load your ink sample

2. Print a nozzle test using a good printhead

3. Run a so-called Static Fire Test, which simulates the real printing conditions

4. Print another nozzle test

5. Compare the “before” and “after” tests. Any degradation in the nozzle condition means that the ink has a problem.

The Ink Tester uses standard media and minimal ink, making it cost-effective and easy to deploy.

No complex lab setups. No waiting. No subjective judgment.

Just fast, data-driven ink validation.

Who Is the Ink Tester For?

The Ink Tester is designed for:

• Any business which uses inkjet printers

• Ink manufacturing facilities

• Print shops

• Label printers

• Packaging printers

• Corrugated box printers

• Metal Printing

• Printing on various objects, such as golf balls and mugs

• Apparel printers

• Can printers

• R&D labs

• OEM test environments

• Service and refurbishment centers

Anywhere that ink quality determines output reliability, the Ink Tester becomes a core control system.

The ROI of Predictive Ink Testing

Ink-related failures are expensive:

• Press downtime

• Wasted substrate

• Damaged printheads

• Missed deadlines

• Lost customer trust

By identifying problematic ink before it touches a machine, the Ink Tester:

• Prevents catastrophic failures

• Extends printhead life

• Reduces emergency maintenance

• Improves consistency across runs

• Protects high-value equipment

It transforms ink from a variable into a controlled input.

The Future of Ink Quality Control

The Ink Tester represents a shift from reactive troubleshooting to predictive quality assurance.

Instead of asking, “Why did this fail?” you ask, “Is this ink ready?”

And you get an answer in minutes.

For any operation that depends on inkjet reliability, the Ink Tester is a strategic advantage.

Test before you print. Prevent failure before it starts.