The GS12, which is designed for ceramic tile production, was showcased at Ceramics China in Guangzhou in May, with the first printers using the technology launching at Tecnargilla in Italy this September.

Cambridge-based Xaar is anticipating sales of the printhead, which is designed for applications that require bold colours, from the third quarter of 2012.

Ian Dinwoodie, chief executive of Xaar, said there would be six OEM partners using the technology initially, with customers at Ceramics China particualrly interested in floor tiling applications.

The 1001 GS12 jets larger 12 to 84 picolitre drops than the company's established GS6 printhead and offers output speeds up to 100% faster than the older model.

It features the company's TF Technology and Hybrid Side Shooter architecture, which enables ink in the printhead to flow directly past the back of the nozzle.

According to Xaar, this means the nozzles are continuously primed, allowing single-pass printers to run for a full production shift with minimal maintenance.