EFI Cretaprint hybrid digital printing technology takes centre stage in China

Champion Tile and Marco Polo are the first companies in Asia to adopt the new EFI Cretaprint digital printing technology

With the gradual return to normality, leading Chinese ceramic tile manufacturers are showing increased interest in the most innovative digital printing technologies, including EFI Cretaprint Hybrid printers which use eco-solvent or eco-friendly water-based inks and glazes according to production requirements. The success of this solution was confirmed by the excellent results achieved by EFI at the Uniceramics trade show held in July in Foshan, where the multinational participated together with its Chinese distributor Cremix and secured nine orders from leading companies including Champion Tile and Marco Polo.

The Hybrid printer was chosen in particular for its productivity and sustainability by Champion, a long-time EFI Cretaprint customer that was looking for new solutions to enable it to differentiate itself from competitors and reduce its ecological footprint. The printer’s ability to use water-based inks and glazes reduces VOC emissions by more than 90% compared to solvent-based inks and CO2 emissions by an average of 73%. In addition, water-based inks and glazes require less drying time and deliver more homogeneous glaze application, guaranteeing high quality in large format pieces and slab manufacturing.

The new order from Marco Polo includes an EFI Cretaprint Shield system and two EFI Cretaprint P4 printers, which will enable the Chinese manufacturer to switch to full digital production at its Wonderful subsidiary in Jiangxi. The Shield technology which will be installed at the Wonderful facility – the first such solution sold in China – consists of satellite bars for digital glazing and other applications which can be installed prior to the digital printer for the application of glues and other effects.