Provenance is Key!
We have all heard TV chefs talk about provenance, the knowledge about where your ingredients are coming from, how they are made and turning them into the perfect dish. At Indie ink, we think provenance is not just important for high end ingredients in Michelin star restaurants.
For us, this all starts with our raw materials:
Our development team has been working with inkjet fluids for decades, so we know exactly where to look and who to trust when it comes to the best components for inkjet inks. By visiting trade shows, conferences and supplier sites over the years, we have built up trusted relationships with companies we trust to produce the highest grade materials to make the perfect ink. Another important factor in raw material choice for us is the environmental responsibility of the source. This is why we take steps to ensure we are choosing raw materials which reduce the environmental impact or companies who are acting with greater responsibility. An example of this is in our choice of humectants (these are the greasy co-solvents which help to keep your inkjet heads running nicely). A couple of years ago we took the step to remove harmful glycols such as ethylene glycol from our inks and also started sourcing our glycerine from guaranteed vegetable source which is palm oil free.
Where possible, we choose raw materials from local sources so that we reduce the carbon footprint of bulk transport of chemicals. Many of our raw materials are manufactured in the UK which reduces our impact to the environment.
Raw materials are one key part to creating a perfect ink, but the quality of the ink is only as good as your manufacturing and storage. We have perfected the inkjet ink manufacturing process over the years we have been working in inkjet. One of the key processes we have worked tirelessly to get right is our filtration process. We have perfected this vitally important step with a novel proprietary multi stage ‘nano filtration’ process which removes any large particles which shouldn’t be hanging around in your ink. This process turns a good formulation into a superb ink.
Many people do not realise that ink is at its optimum performance the fresher it is. This is why at Indie ink, we manufacture smaller batch sizes more regularly. This ensures that the ink reaches the consumer in a timely manner, which means you get the ink at peak performance. Unlike many of our competitors who have large lead times and end up selling ink which is close to or past its optimum performance level. This is especially important with white ink where particles naturally settle.
Who makes the ink?
Indie Ink make the ink in Newcastle-upon-Tyne. The ink you buy will be manufactured by our technical/production team Graeme, Michael and Dan. All qualified to degree level and trained in inkjet technology by industry experts, these guys know the manufacturing process and can spot a potential issue from a mile off. All the inks are manufactured and controlled by us, here in the UK. No outsourcing, no re-labelling, just production of high quality inkjet inks from the best raw materials.
So, just as those TV chefs like to sing the praises of the dishes they create with high grade ingredients, we want to shout alongside them as we believe that a formulation is only as good as the ingredients and process knowledge you put in.