The Xaar 1002 GS40 head has a droplet volume from 40 to 160 picolitres, with five greyscales. Xaar said target applications included laying down opaque whites in label printing, as well as spot UV inkjet coating, including high-build effects.

The Cambridge-headquartered inkjet head developer claimed the throughput of the new head “surpassed that of any other on the market”.

Other potential uses for the GS40 UV include the décor market, where it can be used for the creation of textured effects such as wood grain.

In common with the other printheads in Xaar’s 1002 family it uses Xaar’s proprietary Thin Film technology.

Xaar said the printhead performed “exceptionally well” with a range of ink types, in particular heavily pigmented and high viscosity inks that can be difficult to jet.

Product manager Alan Mutch said it would allow users to create effects that would typically require other processes, such as embossing. “This capability is becoming more prevalent in labels and packaging for luxury products within the food and beverage sectors including high end spirits and wine labelling,” he said.