Thermal Inkjet (Bubble-Jet)
Definition
An inkjet drop-formation mechanism using a resistive heating element to vaporise ink and eject a droplet; used in HP DeskJet and Canon PIXMA lines; satellite droplets and nozzle-char patterns are characteristic.
- Mechanism
- Resistive heating element vaporises ink
- Example brands
- HP DeskJet, Canon PIXMA
- Identifying trace
- Satellite droplets, nozzle-char patterns
- Contrast
- Piezoelectric inkjet uses no heating
Common questions
How is bubble-jet output told apart from piezoelectric inkjet?+
Bubble-jet droplets show characteristic satellite spotting and nozzle-char residue from the vaporisation process, features absent from piezoelectric systems that eject ink mechanically without heat.
Why does nozzle condition matter for source identification?+
Individual nozzle clogging or misfiring creates a repeatable defect pattern across printed pages that can link a document to a specific printer unit, similar in principle to a tool mark comparison.
Related terms
- Banding
- Horizontal density variations across a laser or inkjet printed page, arising from developer roller irregularities, drum charging variation, or drive-train gear-skip; measurable...
- Drum Period
- The repeat interval of a drum-surface defect in the printed output, equal to the drum's circumference; measured in millimetres to identify the...
- Dye-Sublimation Printer
- A printer that transfers dye from a donor ribbon to a receiver layer under heat, producing continuous-tone gradients; used for ID card...
- Electrophotographic Process
- The multi-step printing process used in laser and LED printers: corona charging, laser/LED exposure, toner development, transfer, fusing, and drum cleaning; defects...
- Fourier Banding Analysis
- A signal-processing technique applied to high-resolution scans of laser-printed pages to extract the periodic frequency and amplitude of banding artefacts, used to...
- Machine Identification Code (MIC)
- A pattern of tiny yellow dots (or equivalent steganographic marks) embedded in the output of many colour laser printers, encoding the printer...
- Piezoelectric Inkjet
- An inkjet drop-formation mechanism using a piezoelectric crystal to deform and eject a droplet without heating; used in Epson PrecisionCore and Micro...
- SEM-EDX
- Scanning electron microscopy with energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy. The electron beam excites characteristic X-rays from each element present in the target grain, giving...
- Thermal Direct Printer
- A printer that activates a heat-sensitive coating on specially treated paper to produce marks without ribbon, ink, or toner; used for POS...