CET Color would like to inform our customers on the risks involved with using a 3^rd party ink in a CET Color machine.  Lately, we have been receiving a number of support issues from our customers that have been related to using a non-CET certified 3^rd party ink.  We want to advise our customers to carefully consider using a 3^rd party ink that has not been thoroughly tested and certified by CET Color before they potentially cause damage to their printheads or ink delivery system.  Damage caused by 3^rd party inks is not covered under the CET Color warranty.

There is a certain level of quality that we expect from all of our products we offer at CET Color and that extends to our ink sets.  We have worked diligently for years to research and develop our ink to meet the high standards we expect from running CET Color printers.  There are a large number of unique factors that go into the development of our ink sets such as color gamut, pigmentation, and adhesion that have been thoroughly tested to provide the end-user with the best possible print results.

Poorly-formulated ink that has not gone through the usual rigorous testing demanded by reputable companies can cause problems on CET Color printers, mainly related to the final output image.  We want to warn our customers of 3^rd party inks that purport themselves as compatible with CET Color printers.  

We know of a number of inks that claim to be color compatible but there is no guarantee that the color gamut will match.  The end result could be a new profile that will need more ink to match the current color profile, negating the savings of using a cheap 3^rd party ink.  Our customers also report to us of color shifts, poor UV performance, and pre-mature fading when using a 3^rd party ink.  We have also seen claims of inks that will match our adhesion and curing results despite not having been tested with our UV lamps or LED curing systems.  Additionally, our customers have reported to us of odd curing patterns and poor adhesion due to the untested nature of 3^rd party inks.

We want to especially warn customers of inks that designate themselves as “pour-over” which means it can be mixed with our OEM ink without changing out or flushing the old ink.  Our ink formulation is uniquely developed and when mixed with other inks, can create unforeseen issues and damage.  We fully recommend that if you do intend to switch inks, to fully flush the system prior to the changeover. 

Ultimately, there will be a large number of claims made by 3^rd party inks on the marketplace but we only recommend using CET Color inks for the best performance and results you expect form a CET Color printer.