Saturated, sharp coding on fibrous absorbent materials: kraft paper, corrugated cartons, uncoated board and paper labels, documents and cheques, eggshells, untreated wood and paper towel.

Water-Based Dye Ink

UniPlus Half-Inch Water-Based Dye TIJ Industrial Ink Cartridge Series
Compatible with HP 1918/2531｜Seven Colours Available｜Coding on Porous Materials

Product Features

Water-based dye ink uses water as its carrier, with hydrophilic dye colourants that penetrate paper fibres along with the water to produce saturated colour. It suits porous materials such as cartons, eggshells, kraft paper and wood, and UniPlus offers it in seven colours.

Product Specifications

Advantages of the UniPlus Water-Based Dye Series

Substrates Suited to Water-Based Dye

Water-based dye develops colour by penetration, so it suits absorbent porous materials. How quickly the material absorbs directly affects drying time and character sharpness.

Commonly printable surfaces:

• Paper: kraft paper, corrugated cartons, uncoated board and paper labels
• Documents: paperwork, cheques and delivery notes
• Eggshells and other porous surfaces
• Wood: raw timber and untreated wood
• Paper towels and other absorbent fibrous materials
• Other porous, absorbent materials

Please note: water-based dye is not suitable for non-absorbent materials such as plastic film, metal and glass, and is not recommended for low-absorbency surfaces such as glossy coated paper. If water resistance is required, evaluate water-based pigment instead; for non-absorbent materials, use solvent-based cartridges. Surface coatings, absorbency, temperature and humidity all influence drying and adhesion performance. We recommend sample testing before full production to confirm the most suitable ink type and equipment parameters.

Water-Based Dye vs. Water-Based Pigment Ink Cartridges Comparison

The main question is whether the marking will come into contact with moisture. If it will meet condensation or rain, or needs greater durability, evaluate the water-based pigment cartridge instead.

If the print surface is a non-absorbent material such as plastic, metal or glass, please see the half-inch solvent-based TIJ ink cartridge series overview.

Compatibility Check

This series corresponds to water-based cartridge specifications including HP 1918 (B3F36A / Q2344A) and HP 2531 (B3F37A / CG378A), and also suits a wide range of handheld and inline TIJ coders.

If your current equipment is non-encrypted, it can usually be swapped in directly. For encrypted models, please provide the brand and model details when you get in touch so we can help confirm compatibility.

Purchasing scenarios suited to the water-based dye series:

Carton coding consumes more ink than most people expect — a few thousand boxes a day adds up quickly and shows directly in your consumables cost. If the marking only has to stay legible through indoor warehousing and transport, there is no need to pay for a higher specification than the job requires.

It suits food, household goods and e-commerce warehousing operations that code large volumes of cartons; manufacturers that distinguish batches or lines by colour; and printing and mailing businesses handling mail, documents and paperwork marking.

Use and Storage Recommendations

Storage conditions:

• Avoid direct sunlight
• Keep away from environments with excessive dust
• Do not store upside down for extended periods

Usage:

• Water-based cartridges do not need shaking before use and can be fitted straight away
• When pausing use, refit the cartridge into its protective clip so the printhead is not left exposed for long periods
• Use within six months of opening
• Even with no immediate printing requirement, run a test print roughly every two weeks to extend cartridge service life
• When changing colours, remove the original cartridge and store it separately; never mix inks of different colours in the same cartridge
• Ink is not edible. Keep out of reach of children; avoid contact with skin and eyes and rinse promptly with clean water in case of contact