中文Heidelberg has launched the ChromaStar Series, a new range of ink dispensing systems that enable printers to create their own special colours accurately and on-demand, rather than ordering pre-mixed spot colours from external suppliers. The series comprises four models scaling from manual batch production to automated high-volume dispensing, with Heidelberg positioning the range as particularly attractive to packaging printers where special colours constitute a significant portion of production requirements.
Four Models for Different Production Volumes
The entry-level ChromaStar X targets manual batch production with digital formula management, giving small operations the ability to mix spot colours using stored recipes without investing in automated dispensing hardware. This model suits converters who run modest volumes of special colours but want to eliminate the lead times and costs associated with ordering mixed ink from external suppliers.
The compact ChromaStar S features 20 dosing heads and optional external pumping of 20kg or 200kg containers for higher-consumption colour components. It handles conventional, LED/UV inks, or a combination of both — a flexibility that matters increasingly as packaging printers adopt LED/UV curing systems alongside traditional chemistry. The S model targets annual spot colour volumes between one and ten metric tonnes, covering the production range typical of mid-size label and folding carton converters.
The ChromaStar M scales further, configurable with 16 to 32 dosing valves and handling conventional, LED/UV inks, or a combination. Dosing operates via 20kg or 200kg pumping systems, and a 25kg batch of ink containing three components can be dispensed in just five minutes. Annual volume capacity ranges from five to twenty tonnes, addressing the needs of larger packaging operations that run multiple spot colours across high-speed press schedules.
Heidelberg has not disclosed specifications for the fourth model in the series, but the progression from manual through compact to mid-range suggests a high-volume automated system designed for large-scale packaging printers with extensive spot colour portfolios.
Why On-Demand Ink Mixing Matters for Packaging
Packaging printers use special colours far more intensively than commercial sheetfed printers. Brand owners specify exact Pantone references that must be reproduced consistently across substrate types, print processes, and production runs spanning months or years. The traditional model of ordering mixed ink from an ink supplier introduces several operational constraints: lead times of days or weeks, minimum order quantities that may exceed actual need, storage requirements for unused ink, and the risk of colour drift between batches from the same supplier.
On-demand dispensing eliminates these constraints by enabling printers to mix exactly the quantity needed, exactly when needed, using stored digital formulas that ensure batch-to-batch consistency. The reduction in waste is significant: spot colour ink that expires or degrades in storage represents both a direct material cost and an environmental disposal burden. For converters running dozens of active Pantone references, the cumulative savings from eliminating over-ordering and waste can materially affect operating margins.
LED/UV Compatibility as a Strategic Differentiator
The ChromaStar Series’ ability to handle conventional and LED/UV inks — or a combination — reflects a market reality that is reshaping packaging printing equipment choices. As regulatory and sustainability pressures drive converters toward LED/UV curing systems, ink management must accommodate both chemistries during the transition period. Many converters operate presses with conventional ink alongside newer LED/UV-equipped machines, creating a mixed inventory that complicates ink purchasing and storage.
A dispensing system that handles both ink types from the same hardware simplifies this transition, allowing converters to shift their spot colour production to LED/UV formulations incrementally without maintaining separate ink management processes.
Productivity and Cost Implications
Heidelberg stated that customers would benefit from higher productivity through the new range, and the logic is straightforward. Eliminating external ink ordering removes lead-time delays from the production schedule. Precise digital formula management reduces colour-matching iterations on press. On-demand mixing eliminates the storage space, inventory management, and waste disposal costs associated with maintaining a library of pre-mixed spot colours.
The Strategic Positioning Behind Ink Management
Heidelberg’s entry into ink dispensing hardware represents a strategic extension beyond its traditional role as a press manufacturer. As packaging converters seek to optimise the entire production chain — from substrate selection through ink management through finishing — equipment suppliers that offer integrated solutions across multiple production stages gain competitive advantage. By providing dispensing systems alongside presses, Heidelberg positions itself as a complete production partner rather than a component supplier.
The LED/UV compatibility across the ChromaStar range also reflects Heidelberg’s awareness that many converters operate mixed fleets. A packaging house running a conventional Speedmaster alongside an LED-cured press needs ink management that accommodates both chemistries, and the ChromaStar Series’ ability to handle conventional, LED/UV, or combined formulations addresses this operational reality directly. For converters planning gradual transitions from conventional to LED/UV curing, the dispensing system eliminates a parallel investment in separate ink management infrastructure.
Source: PrintCAN, “Heidelberg’s New ChromaStar Series,” July 22, 2026.
