Expand the possibilities of digital decoration: cooperation with Torrecid and Inco

The evolution of digital decoration technology is opening new possibilities far beyond the ceramic industry. As manufacturers in sectors such as glass and tableware seek greater design flexibility, higher productivity and more sustainable decoration processes, digital printing has become a strategic enabler of innovation.

However, developing reliable industrial solutions for these applications requires more than advanced machinery alone: it demands a collaborative ecosystem where machine manufacturers, ink specialists and R&D teams work together to overcome technical challenges and transform ideas into scalable production processes.

This collaborative approach is at the core of System Digital’s strategy.  

Building on decades of experience gained through System Ceramics, the company has extended its expertise into new industrial sectors, creating dedicated solutions for glass and tableware decoration.  

Through long-standing partnerships with companies such as Torrecid and Inco, System Digital combines deep knowledge of inkjet printing technology with structured research and qualification processes, enabling the development of market-ready solutions, tailored to the specific requirements of each application.

Tableware: the collaboration with Torrecid

In the tableware sector, System Digital’s collaboration with Torrecid represents the natural evolution of a long-term partnership originally established in ceramic digital decoration and now extended into new applications.

Torrecid is a global multinational group operating in more than 150 countries and, as Julio Moreno, Global Director of Tableware & Precious Metal Division, states: “We are not an ink supplier, but a partner to our customers. As pioneers in digital ink technology, we do not simply sell inks, but work closely with our customers to offer them the latest technologies and the most advanced solutions that benefit both parties.”

The tableware industry faces several complex technical challenges: one of the most relevant is maintaining print quality when increasing the distance between the printhead and the item. While current technologies allow printing at distances above 20 mm and even up to 50 mm, resolution tends to decrease as the gap increases.  

Additional challenge comes from decorating full tableware sets, including cups, jugs and bowls, many of which feature vertical or non-flat surfaces, that are not compatible with standard digital printing processes.

To overcome these limitations, System Digital cooperated closely with Torrecid to develop the Creaware platform, combining advanced machine engineering with high-performance ink solutions.  

The collaboration is supported by parallel development teams and a structured inter-lab system with predefined quality protocols.

As Julio Moreno explains: “Both companies have their own teams working in parallel, but there is also a deep inter-lab collaboration between companies, with strong and predefined quality protocols, which make all the machine development process, inks homologation and technology startup very easy and fast.”

The Creaware system is designed for reliability and flexibility. Combined with Torrecid’s advanced vitrifiable inks and decal-based solutions, this enables the decoration of complete tableware collections, through flexible digital inkjet solutions, significantly improving productivity, design freedom and industrial scalability.

Glass: the collaboration with Inco

For the glass sector, System Digital has collaborated closely with Inco, an Italian family-owned company with more than 35 years of experience in pigments and solutions for ceramics, glass, coatings and plastics.

Over the last few years, Inco has significantly expanded its focus toward digital decoration technologies, investing in the development of specialized inks for glass applications, particularly in demanding markets, such as automotive and home appliances. 

One of the main technical challenges in this field comes from the nature of the glass substrate itself.  

As highlighted by Daniele Verucchi, R&D Manager at Inco: “The main critical issue arises from the nature of the glass substrate itself, which has limited ink absorption properties. As a result, the ink droplet tends to spread, leading to a loss of image definition.”  

This phenomenon makes it difficult to maintain sharpness and precision in printed graphics, especially when compared to absorbent materials, such as ceramics.  

Ensuring droplet stability, high definition and defect-free printing becomes essential to meet the stringent quality requirements of sectors, like automotive glass.

To address these challenges, System Digital benefited from the expertise of Inco, establishing a structured joint development process, based on shared technical specifications, laboratory testing, waveform optimization and progressive industrial validation.

“The main value of the partnership lies in the constant exchange of knowlede and expertise, allowing both companies to continuously improve solutions and better address the challenges of digital printing on glass.” explains Verucchi.

This close collaboration enabled the development and qualification of the Creaglass machine, a single-pass platform that combines high productivity with excellent print quality.

At the same time, Inco continues to advance its roadmap of digital inks, including IR-drying and UV-pinning solutions, with future expansion toward full-color decorative applications set to be presented at Glasstec.

A shared innovative model

Although Torrecid and Inco pursue different objectives and bring distinct expertise, both collaborations are built on a common foundation: long-term partnership, structured R&D cooperation and continuous knowledge exchange.

In both cases, innovation is driven by shared development processes, from initial laboratory testing to full industrial validation. This ensures that inkjet technology is not only developed but also effectively industrialized, addressing real production challenges and enabling scalable adoption in new markets.  

As the R&D Manager at Inco highlights: “This approach allows R&D efforts to be directed in the most effective way, aligning solution development with real application requirements.”

At the same time, the strength of the partnership model with Torrecid lies in its global vision and long-term innovation mindset, where collaboration goes beyond supply relationships and becomes a co-development process.  

As the Global Director of Tableware & Precious Metal Division at Torrecid Group states: “Our vision is a long-term partnership to achieve a win-win relationship.”

These partnerships demonstrate how System Digital’s R&D-driven approach extends digital inkjet printing beyond traditional boundaries, transforming complex technical challenges into reliable, high-performance industrial solutions and reinforcing a shared pathway toward future industrial innovation.

Learn more about System Digital technologies and approach on our website or contact our team directly.