EPSON MICRO

PIEZO
TECHNOLOGY
The most advanced inkjet print h
technology
Epson Micro Piezo Technology
What is an Epson Micro Piezo print head?
Micro Piezo is the name of the multi award-winning, proprietary piezoelectric technology that is used in the print
heads of all Epson inkjet printers which has made them renowned for their high quality output and reliability, as
well as low running cost.
Since the introduction of the technology in 1993 till today, Epson has been the only company that uses a
piezoelectric print head throughout its inkjet printing device range from the smallest personal photo printer, to
the largest industrial system.
How does an Epson Micro Piezo print head work?
To push ink out from the print nozzles, an Epson Micro Piezo inkjet print head uses what are known as
piezoelectric materials that bend when an electrical charge is passed through them.
Using piezoelectric technology, the amount of ink pulled into and expelled out of the nozzles can be very
accurately controlled by varying the electrical charge given to the piezoelectric elements. This enables the print
head to eject ink droplets in a range of precisely controlled sizes.

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Epson Micro Piezo System Thermal System
Ink Ejection
Method
Ink ejected by mechanical pressure exerted by piezoelectric
element.
Ink ejected by creating and exploding an air bu
heating the ink.
Performance
Ink drop volume controlled by voltage for precise and variable
droplet size and high speed ejection.
Achieves higher speeds by increasing nozzle co
Resolution
Epson Micro Piezo print heads allow for precisely sized drops of
ink of up to five different sizes to be ejected onto the medium,
resulting in sharper, grain-free prints with smoother tonal
transitions.
Thermal inkjet printers cannot control ink drop
nozzles.
Ink
Compatibility
The low temperature operation of Epson Micro Piezo print
heads make them compatible with a wide range of inks,
including dye and pigment types, solvent inks, and ultraviolet
cure inks.
Limited ink options due to extreme heat involv
impossible for use in the high heat operation of
thermal inkjet printers.
Durability
Epson Micro Piezo print heads run much cooler than thermal
inkjet ones and can provide reliable operation for the life span
of the printer. Therefore, no Epson ink cartridge needs a print
head attached, making them more affordable, and
environmentally friendly.
Most printers with thermal inkjet print heads ne
changed regularly because of the extreme heat
operation that will damage them with prolonge
expensive new print heads are usually built into
are replaced with every cartridge change.
Power
Consumption
Epson Micro Piezo print heads use less power than thermal
inkjet pint heads because the piezoelectric method of ink
ejection is far more efficient.
The resistors used by thermal print heads to he
a much higher amount of power compared to t
method.
Epsons Variable Sized Droplet Technology (VSDT)
Variable Size Droplet Technology (VSDT) refers to the capability of Epsons Micro Piezo print head technology to eject ink drop
by varying the electrical charge given to the piezoelectric elements. This enables Epsons printers to achieve variable sized ink
1.5 picoliters. Epson Micro Piezo technologys ability to achieve such superior precision results in sharp, rich, and virtually
images - key qualities strongly associated through the years with Epsons renowned photo-quality prints.

Epsons Micro Piezo Advantage
The two most commonly used inkjet printing systems in the market are Epsons
Micro Piezo technology and thermal inkjet printing.
In an Epson Micro Piezo system, ink is ejected by precisely controlled mechanical
pressure.
On the other hand, thermal inkjet technology works by rapidly heating resistors
built behind the print heads nozzles to vaporize the ink, creating a bubble which
expands so quickly that the ink literally explodes out of the nozzle onto the paper.
When the bubble cools and collapses, the resulting vacuum pulls more ink into the
print head from the cartridge.
Comparison of Epson's Micro Piezo
inkjet technology (rig

The following table shows the key differences and the advantages of Epsons Micro Piezo system:
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