Why Empty CIJ Cartridges Are Gaining Popularity in Custom Ink Solutions

Continuous Inkjet (CIJ) technology remains the dominant method for industrial product identification—from expiry dates and batch codes on food packaging to UDI traceability codes on medical devices. In recent years, a notable trend has emerged: manufacturers increasingly turning to empty CIJ cartridges filled with custom-formulated inks rather than relying solely on OEM pre-filled cartridges. This report examines the key drivers behind this shift.

1. Significant Cost Advantages

The industrial inkjet market has long operated on a "razor-and-blades" model: the printing equipment is sold at relatively accessible prices, while proprietary inks and solvents generate recurring high-margin revenue for OEMs. Original CIJ ink cartridges typically cost 2 to 3 times more than third-party alternatives, making them a substantial long-term expense for high-volume operations.

 

Empty cartridges enable a fundamental cost decoupling: the physical container (the cartridge body) is procured separately from the consumable fluid (the ink). This separation delivers compounding savings over time, particularly for production lines processing tens or hundreds of thousands of units daily. Bulk ink procurement further drives down per-unit costs compared to the premium pricing embedded in sealed OEM cartridges.

2. Ink Formulation Flexibility

The single most compelling advantage of Empty CIJ cartridges is the freedom they provide to formulate and inject application-specific custom inks. OEMs typically offer a limited portfolio of standard ink products, which cannot address the full diversity of industrial marking requirements.

Custom ink formulators can precisely tune parameters including viscosity, surface tension, conductivity, particle size, drying speed, adhesion strength, and color properties to match the exact requirements of each application—a level of tailoring that OEM standard product lines simply cannot achieve.

Figure 3: Diverse industrial sectors—food, pharma, electronics, automotive, and construction—each demand uniquely formulated CIJ inks optimized for their specific substrates and regulatory environments.

3. Breaking OEM Vendor Lock-In

Major CIJ manufacturers—including Videojet, Domino, Linx, Markem-Imaje, and Keyence—have historically employed various strategies to maintain captive consumables revenue:

• Proprietary chip technology: Some OEM cartridges include authentication microchips that restrict non-original ink usage
• Warranty pressure: Implied or explicit warnings that third-party inks may void equipment warranties
• Patented cartridge designs: Physical form factors engineered to be difficult to replicate

Empty cartridges from third-party suppliers provide an effective counter-strategy. These manufacturers invest in reverse engineering to produce compatible empty cartridge bodies that match OEM specifications for dimensions, interfaces, and electronic components, empowering users to choose their preferred ink source independently.

"The EU Consumer Rights Directive and similar regulations worldwide have clarified that manufacturers cannot legally deny warranty coverage solely because a customer uses third-party consumables, provided those consumables meet applicable standards."

4. Supply Chain Resilience and Autonomy

Recent years have exposed vulnerabilities in global supply chains—geopolitical disruptions, logistics bottlenecks, and raw material shortages have compelled manufacturers to rethink their dependency on single-source consumable suppliers. The Empty cartridge model offers several strategic advantages:

5. Environmental Sustainability

Figure 5: Refillable Empty cartridges significantly reduce plastic waste compared to single-use OEM cartridges, aligning with circular economy principles and corporate ESG objectives.

The environmental case for Empty CIJ cartridges is increasingly compelling within the context of corporate ESG (Environmental, Social, and Governance) commitments:

• Reduced plastic waste: A single cartridge body can be refilled multiple times, eliminating the disposal of dozens of single-use OEM cartridges over its service life
• Lower carbon footprint: Bulk ink transport is significantly more efficient than shipping pre-filled cartridges with their packaging weight and volume
• Circular economy alignment: The refill model supports principles of reuse and waste reduction that are increasingly mandated by regulations such as the EU Packaging and Packaging Waste Regulation (PPWR)
• Reduced packaging: Bulk ink shipments require minimal packaging compared to individually boxed OEM cartridges