The global packaging and printing market is undergoing a quiet transformation. The ever-increasing demand for e-commerce parcels, brands’ increasingly stringent colour requirements, and the tightening of environmental regulations worldwide have brought “ink colour matching”—a process that was once reliant on the expertise of seasoned craftsmen—to the forefront.
A set of figures speaks volumes: by 2025, the global packaging and printing market will have exceeded US$450 billion, with the packaging ink segment alone surpassing US$10 billion and set to maintain a compound annual growth rate of over 8% in the coming years. At the same time, the average print run size continues to shrink, whilst the frequency of job changes is increasing. This means that the speed and precision of every ink matching operation directly determine the printing press’s effective output and the company’s profit margins.
Against this backdrop, selecting a set of efficient, intelligent, and reliable ink dispensing equipment is no longer an “option”, but a “necessity”.
This article will take a practical approach to discussing how packaging printing companies should choose the right ink dispensing equipment for their needs.
Many companies are easily misled by various technical specifications when selecting an ink dispensing equipment model. In reality, the first step should be to conduct on-site research into your own production situation. No two printing plants are exactly alike; an ink dispensing equipment that suits another company may not necessarily suit yours.
1. Does your factory handle large-volume, long-run orders, or does it produce a wide variety of products in small batches?
If your factory is a corrugated box manufacturer specialising in long-run orders and consumes dozens of tonnes of ink each week, then you require an automated system with high capacity, high flow rates and support for continuous operation—ideally one that can be integrated with a central ink supply pipeline, such as the DF-M Dispenser or the DM-Series Automatic Dosing Unit. Conversely, if you are a label printing plant that handles a dozen or even several dozen short runs in different colours every day, then flexibility, rapid cleaning and changeovers, and precise weighing for small batches are key – for example, the Lab Dosing Machine, DC-X and DC-1.
Sightec’s ink dispensing equipment features a modular design, covering everything from small-scale laboratory and proofing models to large-scale industrial production lines. You can configure the number of raw material tanks and dosing units according to your actual output, ensuring you neither “over-engineer” the system nor find yourself “stretched too thin”.
2. Which printing processes and ink systems are primarily used?
Flexography, intaglio (printmaking), offset printing, screen printing… Different processes place vastly different demands on ink viscosity, drying speed, and rheology. Water-based inks, solvent-based inks, UV inks, and even certain specialised functional inks all possess distinct physicochemical properties. A good ink dispensing equipment system must be compatible with all the ink types you currently use and, ideally, support potential future expansion.
Sightec’s automated ink dispensing equipment was designed with this in mind from the outset. Through the optimisation of piping materials, seals and cleaning procedures, it can handle both water-based and solvent-based inks simultaneously, meeting the requirements of various processes such as flexography and gravure printing, whilst ensuring thorough cleaning during ink changes and minimising the risk of cross-contamination.
3. What is the customer’s tolerance for colour deviation?
If your company primarily serves the food, beverage, cosmetics or pharmaceutical packaging sectors, brand owners often impose extremely strict regulations regarding colour deviation; ΔE ≤ 2 has become a standard clause in many contracts. It is difficult to consistently achieve this level through manual weighing, as human operational errors and fluctuations in ambient temperature and humidity can all affect the final colour.
Sightec’s ink dispensing system utilises high-precision weighing sensors, combined with specialised colour management software, to control weighing errors for each formulation within ±0.05 g. It also supports connection to a spectrophotometer to automatically calibrate formulation data, ensuring highly consistent colour performance for every batch of ink once it is applied to the printing press.
Once the basic requirements have been clarified, attention should turn to the core performance of the ink dispensing equipment. When it comes to ink formulation, there is only one key factor: weighing accuracy.
Currently, the most reliable technical approach recognised within the industry is the gravimetric method (weight-based measurement), which involves blending components by mass rather than volume. Why? Because the density of ink varies with temperature, batch, and even storage duration; if measured by volume, these variables would introduce errors, whereas weighing by mass remains completely unaffected. A compliant gravimetric ink dispensing system should maintain an accuracy of ±0.02g or better across its full measurement range, thereby ensuring the precise proportioning of small-dose additives and base materials.
Sightec’s weighing system utilises industrial-grade, high-precision sensors and is equipped with dynamic compensation algorithms, ensuring stable readings even in complex environments such as those subject to workshop vibrations and air turbulence. We have conducted extensive practical tests which demonstrate that, within a weighing range of 30 kilograms, repeatability can be consistently maintained within ±1 gram – a factor that is crucial for the reproducibility of spot colour formulations.
In addition to accuracy, the long-term operational reliability of the ink dispensing equipment is equally important. Printing workshops typically operate 24 hours a day without interruption; should the equipment ever shut down, the entire production chain would be affected. Sightec’s systems are structurally designed to minimise the use of wear-prone parts; key components are made from corrosion-resistant materials and have been validated through tens of thousands of cycle tests. This is why our equipment has been operating reliably for many years in hundreds of printing plants worldwide, with many customers even repurchasing the same model directly when expanding their production capacity.
This is an aspect that many purchasers tend to overlook. The hardware does the “legwork”, whilst the software does the “thinking”. If purchasers focus solely on hardware specifications whilst paying no attention to the software system, the value of the equipment will be significantly diminished.
An excellent ink management software package should, at a minimum, fulfil the following functions:
Sightec’s proprietary ink management software is designed precisely according to this logic, and we place particular emphasis on compatibility with enterprises’ existing IT environments. Whether it involves simple on-premises deployment or complex integration with cloud platforms, our technical team can provide bespoke interface development services to ensure that new equipment does not become an “information silo”, but rather an integral part of the entire digital factory.
The concept of “green printing” has been discussed for many years, but it is only in the last two to three years that it has truly become a mandatory requirement. The EU’s Digital Product Passport is gradually being implemented, and an increasing number of brand owners are requiring suppliers to provide detailed data on ink usage and waste. At the same time, fluctuations in raw material prices have forced companies to calculate every kilogram of ink down to the last detail.
What quantifiable benefits can an automated ink dispensing system bring in terms of sustainable development?
Firstly, it reduces waste. During manual dispensing, operators often prepare slightly more “just in case”, and most of this excess ink ultimately ends up as waste. Automated ink dispensing systems weigh ingredients precisely on demand, typically reducing ink consumption by 20–30%, which translates directly into savings on material costs.
Secondly, it facilitates the reuse of leftover ink. In Sightec’s ink dispensing system, the handling of leftover ink is not a “side feature” but one of the core modules. It can accurately assess the active ingredients in leftover ink and incorporate them into the calculations for new batches.
Finally, it supports regulatory compliance. The system automatically records complete batch information for every dispensing operation (including the batch numbers of raw materials used, weighing data, and the operator’s details), facilitating easy retrieval for audits and meeting the traceability requirements of brand owners and regulatory bodies.
Many companies focus solely on the performance of the ink dispensing equipment itself when making a purchase, whilst neglecting how well it integrates with their existing production environment. Ideal ink dispensing equipment should be able to integrate seamlessly into your existing workflow. This includes:
Sightec’s ink dispensing equipment is designed with an open architecture; we support a wide range of mainstream communication protocols and have extensive experience in customising interfaces. Whether connecting to older printers or integrating with the latest smart manufacturing platforms, our engineers can provide practical solutions. We fully recognise that every factory’s IT environment is unique; therefore, we never offer “one-size-fits-all” solutions, but instead work with clients to analyse their processes and identify the most suitable integration approach.
Printing production cannot wait; should ink dispensing equipment fail, every minute of downtime represents a tangible financial loss. Consequently, a supplier’s after-sales response time, technical expertise, and spare parts supply capacity must be key considerations when selecting equipment.
As a global specialist in automated dispensing systems, Sightec maintains service centres or authorised partners in many locations worldwide. We do not offer a one-off “sell-and-forget” transaction, but rather support covering the entire lifecycle of the equipment:
Many of our long-standing customers regard us as an integral part of their production team; when faced with production expansion or new process requirements, we are the first point of contact—this makes us acutely aware of the significant responsibility we bear and motivates us to continually optimise the quality of our service.
Returning to our original question: how should the packaging and printing industry select efficient ink dispensing equipment?
The answer is: do not simply look at the figures on a specification sheet, nor be misled by flashy marketing rhetoric. Start from your own production requirements and rigorously assess the equipment’s precision, the intelligence of the software, the practical effectiveness of sustainability measures, compatibility with existing systems, and the supplier’s long-term service capabilities. Only equipment that stands up to scrutiny across all these dimensions is truly suitable for your needs.
It is precisely on the basis of these principles that Sightec has provided customised dispensing solutions to numerous packaging and printing enterprises worldwide. Whether you are a multinational group requiring uniform colour management across global factories, or a small to medium-sized print shop seeking to reduce operating costs and improve production efficiency, we are committed to helping you find the most suitable path through our professional expertise and pragmatic approach.
If you are unsure about which ink dispensing equipment to choose, why not start with an internal assessment of your current situation, and then discuss your specific concerns with us? We believe that a thorough analysis of your requirements is far more valuable than reading ten brochures.
