How to Choose an UV Printer Printhead

How to Choose an Industrial Printhead? A Comprehensive Guide to Five Common Models

In the fields of industrial printing and advertising, the printhead is the core component that determines print quality, speed, and applicable scenarios. Epson and Ricoh are two major leading brands, offering several classic printhead models. This article will provide a detailed analysis of five common industrial printheads to help you make the best choice based on your specific needs.

I. Epson Series

1. Epson 11600U1: The All-Rounder

This printhead can be considered an "all-purpose player" in the printing field. It features 4 ink inlets, supporting up to 4 colors, with each inlet corresponding to one outlet channel, providing stable and moderate ink volume output. Its minimum ink droplet size is 3.5 picoliters (PL), enabling very fine print quality.

Characteristics: Fine dots, high precision, supports high-clearance printing up to 8mm.

Speed: Its speed is between the Ricoh G5i and G6, offering a balanced performance.

Ideal For: Applications requiring good color and precision at medium speeds, such as advertising graphics, art reproductions, and ceramic imaging.

2. Epson 13200U1: The High-Volume, High-Precision Performer

The 13200U1 is an upgrade from the 11600. While it also has 4 ink inlets and supports 4 colors, its internal channel count increases to 8! This means one ink inlet corresponds to two outlet channels, resulting in a higher ink volume output, ideal for quickly covering large areas with color.

Characteristics: High ink volume, high precision (3.5 PL), also supports 8mm high-clearance printing.

Speed: Its print speed is relatively slower, prioritizing high precision and large ink volume.

Ideal For: Large-format posters, backdrop walls, decorative panels, and other products requiring rich color and fine detail.

3. Epson 13200HD: The High-Clearance & Multi-Color Expert

This printhead is an "expert" designed for special applications. It boasts 8 ink inlets, supporting up to 8 colors, making it perfectly suited for high-precision, multi-color printing needs. Its most prominent feature is the ability to perform high-clearance printing up to 25mm, allowing it to print directly on uneven, curved surfaces.

Important Note: This printhead is designed specifically for color inks and does NOT support white ink, varnish, or primer coatings.

Characteristics: Extensive color support, very high clearance (25mm), high precision (3.5 PL).

Ideal For: Direct printing on curved objects like phone cases, helmets, and crafts. A powerful tool in the UV flatbed printing sector.

II. Ricoh Series

1. Ricoh G5i: The Precision Purist

The Ricoh G5i is renowned for its extremely high printing precision. It features a 4-inlet, 4-outlet design with moderate ink output. Most importantly, its minimum ink droplet size is an ultra-fine 3 PL, producing even finer dots than the Epson series.

Characteristics: Ultra-high printing precision (industry-leading), very fine dots.

Speed: Print speed is relatively slower, sacrificing some efficiency for极致 precision.

Ideal For: High-end photographic output, replica antique paintings, and any printing task with stringent detail requirements.

2. Ricoh G6: The King of Speed and Efficiency

If maximum production efficiency is your goal, then the Ricoh G6 is the prime choice. It utilizes a design where 2 ink inlets correspond to 4 outlet channels (one-to-two), providing ample ink supply for each color, thereby achieving very fast print speeds.

Characteristics: Extremely fast print speed, ample ink volume, stable structure.

Note: Its minimum droplet size is 5 PL, so dots will be slightly larger than those of the G5i and Epson series; it may not be the best choice for ultra-high precision requirements.

Ideal For: Applications with a hard requirement for speed, such as packaging box coding, industrial markings, and mass production of large-format advertisements.

Summary & Selection Guide

Feature	Epson 11600U1	Epson 13200U1	Epson 13200HD	Ricoh G5i	Ricoh G6
Key Strength	Balanced	High Ink Volume	Multi-Color & High Clearance	Ultra-High Precision	Ultra-High Speed
Best For	Graphics, Art	Posters, Walls	Curved Surfaces, Multi-Color	Photography, Replicas	Industrial Coding, Mass Production
Colors Supported	4-color	4-color	8-color	4-color	2-color
Precision	High	High	High	Extremely High	Medium
Speed	Medium	Medium	Medium	Slow	Fast

How to Choose?

For Extremely Detail: Choose the Ricoh G5i.

For Production Speed: Choose the Ricoh G6.

For Printing on Curved Objects: Choose the Epson 13200HD.

For General Advertising: Both the Epson 11600U1 and 13200U1 are reliable choices; the latter offers more saturated color coverage.

We hope this guide helps you better understand the characteristics of different printheads and provides valuable reference for your equipment selection or process upgrades.