Brixen, Italy based wide-format printer manufacturer Durst Phototechnik AG announces a new printing technology it says is a significant breakthrough in the accuracy of ink droplet size and placement, and that it has important implications for grayscale printing.

Durst’s new 10-picoliter Variodrop printing technology controls drop size modulation by utilizing “multipulsing,” a technology that delivers two voltage pulses, with the second pulse pumping precise amounts of ink into the droplet before it detaches from the nozzle plate—without forming satellites.

“Compared to the often uneven droplets that are formed from a not-well-tuned greyscale wave form, this double-pulse drop shape we produce with Variodrop is perfectly uniform and the placement is always evenly spaced,” says Richard Piock, CEO of Durst Phototechnik AG.

When combined with Durst’s existing greyscale technology, the application of Variodrop results in improved productivity and image quality, as well as a dramatic reduction in the errors that can occur in greyscale printing, the company says. Conventional greyscale relies heavily on the accuracy of drop placement, which can be affected by the uniformity of drop velocity. Any variations in printhead working conditions can lead to a mismatch of greyscale drop velocities, and the consequence is drop placement inaccuracy.

“But our multipulsing technology, which is at the heart of Variodrop, directly addresses the challenges of grayscale printing with impressive results,” says Christopher Howard, senior vice president of sales and marketing for Durst U.S., Rochester, N.Y.  “We’re very pleased to bring this important new capability to our customers.”

Durst recently demonstrated its Variodrop printing technology on a Rho P10 320R UV Inkjet Digital Roll-to-Roll Printer at the ISA tradeshow in Las Vegas. Variodrop technology is now available on all of Durst’s P10 Series printers.