This page provides a basic introduction to non-contact marking, describing and illustrating the different features. It is therefore intended for those who are new to the subject and can be ignored by anyone who is familiar with the technology.

Non-contact marking, as the name suggests, involves the marking of an item where the equipment undertaking the marking makes no contact with the item that is being marked. This can be achieved using two main technologies:

- Inkjet Printing, where the printer fires ink onto the item using a combination of dots to form the characters

- Laser Marking, where characters are etched onto the item.

Other less common technologies are:

- Hot  Wax, which needs to be used selectively since it can be scratched off certain materials such as plastic

- Print  and Apply Label systems

Each of these technologies has several variations that make them suitable for different situations and materials. However, the common feature is the non-contact process, which allows fast throughput of items.

At The Needham Group, we are specialists in small character inkjet printing, with over 20 years experience. Please browse our website for details of our Citronix continuous inkjet printers.