31/10/2025
The UK is a funny printing market. Printers believe unwaveringly in 'OEM' brand, when 95% of printer manufacturers do not even make their own inks!
The image below is from a flush through of a grand format printer, who's brand is one of the best known in the industry (but for legal reason's I will refrain from mentioning them directly).
Unbeknown to our new customer, this supplier has switched their ink manufacturer 5 times in the last 6 years!
Not once was the customer warned of ink cross-contamination!
Not once was the customer advised how to safely change inks!
Not once were they even warned of the ink change!
(Sound familiar to anyone else?)
When their colour profiles no longer matched those of previous work, blame was pointed in different directions by their supply rep: media, RIP, temperature, humidity, different light.
Nozzle drop-outs became commonplace, and blame was often put in junior machine operators' laps for not doing the correct, regular cleans (when actually they were!).
After years of struggles, the business owner approached us for advice earlier this spring when looking for new RIP software.
They were gobsmacked by the hidden secrets of 'OEM' suppliers and immediately requested our assistance.
Upon switching to 'mill branded' ink supply, where end-users know exactly where their ink comes from, and is ALWAYS to the same quality levels clients expect, all the problems they were experiencing disappeared overnight!
The image below shows the contamination of the ink lines after the main filters.
This is why nozzles were dropping out and costing £1,000's in replacement printheads & filters! It was of little surprise that the OEM tried to blame other factors and took zero responsibility for the issues or costs accrued. Unbelievably, they actually tried offering ink at 50% discount as their way of showing client loyalty!
In Europe, over 80% of print production houses do not use OEM inks. They buy 'mill branded' inks as it gives them the guarantee of continued quality, lower costs, and better customer service.
In the UK, over 80% of printers still use OEM brand despite the higher costs, variable quality and poor customer service.
Users are blinded by words of 'warranty' and 'service contracts', when no one actually reads the small print. It is actually against UK & European trading standards anti-competitive laws (3rd line forcing) to lock users into supply chains from 'company A' as a condition of providing a service support package through 'company B'.
Customers must always be given the free choice without risk of retribution, and no supplier will ever look to burn down their bridges to prevent future sales opportunities.
If you want to discuss your own digital ink supply chain, drop a message to discuss further.
