Large format inkjet technology can be divided into four categories based on the type of ink used:
- Water-based inkjet is at the cheaper end of the inkjet market, but less interesting for wallpaper printers due to its low production speed.
- Solvent inkjet (as well as its improved variant eco solvent) is not suited for printing indoor applications due to its odor, and for health and sustainability reasons. Solvent ink is not environmentally friendly and produces prints that, even when dry, smell of chemicals and emit VOCs.
- Latex inkjet technology uses water-based ink, emitting only a low level of VOCs. A wide range of latex inkjet equipment is available from entry level to production level but the production speed to produce high-quality indoor prints always remains modest.
- Available on different investment and productivity levels as well, UV inkjet printing systems cure the printed image by means of UV light, produced by a metal-doped (e.g. iron or gallium iodide) mercury lamp or UV-LED. One of the main challenges, however, lies in the emitted odor of the printed product which makes it unsuitable for living rooms, bedrooms, hospitals, restaurants and other types of indoor use.