(Quoted from Sign & Digital Graphics. Full Article here.)

Remember four-color process CMYK digital printing? Remember the joys and frustrations of trying to match Pantones or other color specifications? Those frustrating days are long gone with the proliferation of multiple ink colors available in today’s printers. But there are a huge variety of choices, and a limited number of heads on printers. Switching colors means expensive and time-consuming head and line flushing—not something that could practically be done on a regular basis.

Modern large-format inkjet printers now often come with more than four printheads. With six heads, there are two slots open for creative color choices. With eight heads there are potentially four spare slots for artistic expression. However, eight heads also allows for the extra four to be used as additional CMYK heads, effectively doubling production speeds while maintaining quality. This is a tempting choice for many shops.

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