English Customer login HomeAbout Applications.Products.Technology. AboutCareersMedia centreEventsInvestor centreContact us About Xaar Menu Who we are Xaar is a world leader in the development of digital inkjet technology and an award-winning manufacturer of piezoelectric drop-on-demand industrial inkjet printheads. Our technology is used all over the world in a wide range of manufacturing applications, including graphics, labels, direct-to-shape packaging decoration, ceramic tiles, laminates, and outer case coding – as well as printing with specialist functional fluids for advanced manufacturing techniques. We design and manufacture our printheads in Huntingdon, UK and Järfälla, Sweden, exporting over 90% of our production to customers around the world. The UK plant produces the Xaar 1002 product range whilst the Swedish plant produces the Xaar Proton, Xaar 500 and the Xaar 128 printheads for the wide-format graphics and coding and marking markets. We also develop and sell ink systems, electronics and fluid optimisation services to accelerate inkjet system development and adoption. Growing through innovation The dynamic world of global manufacturing provides an exciting opportunity for Xaar. Most things we come into contact with on a daily basis are patterned, decorated, printed or finished in some way; the packaging and labels in our supermarkets, the boxes containing everything we buy, the tiles and laminate flooring in our homes and offices, the televisions we watch and the solar panels used to power our buildings. Many production processes used in the manufacture of these products use traditional analogue technology. However, Xaar's industrial inkjet technology has already transformed a number of industries, and in other sectors the pace of conversion to digital is starting to accelerate. Creating long-term value Xaar invests 12% of revenue annually in Research and Development (R&D) to remain at the forefront of global inkjet technology. We have around 500 patents and patent applications and continue to regularly add to our Intellectual Property portfolio. Currently our key patented technologies include: Shear Mode Technology, Shared Wall Technology, Chevron Technology, Hybrid Side Shooter™ (HSS™) architecture, and the revolutionary TF Technology™. To read more about these, visit our Technology pages. Xaar offers a wide range of industrial digital inkjet printheads which are designed and produced to meet customer-driven requirements; we sell to Original Equipment Manufacturers (OEMs) around the world through regional sales offices and approved distributors. Xaar's highly skilled applications engineers offer the highest level of technical support to assist OEMs and other customers in the successful design, build, commissioning and on-going maintenance of printing systems. History of Xaar 1990Xaar is established Xaar was formed in Cambridge, UK to acquire, develop and commercially exploit a new digital inkjet printing technology arising out of work done by Cambridge Consultants Ltd. Xaar’s business concentrated on licensing four granted patents and know-how to printer manufacturers, primarily for use in office applications. 1997London Stock Exchange listing Xaar completed a successful listing on the London Stock Exchange. The flotation raised a total of £15 million after expenses. Of this, £10 million represented new capital for the Company to accelerate development of the Group. 1999First printhead manufacturing Xaar acquired MIT, an existing licensee. MIT was integrated into Xaar and became Xaar’s dedicated manufacturing facility at Järfälla, Sweden. Xaar’s product portfolio has expanded considerably since this acquisition. 2003First greyscale printhead Xaar introduced its first full production printhead incorporating its unique, patented greyscale technology. The Xaar 318 is manufactured in Japan by Xaar licensee Toshiba TEC and offers photographic-quality printing with no compromise in speed. 2005Further greyscale developments Further greyscale developments led to the launch of the Xaar 760, delivering a choice of binary or greyscale drop sizes to provide the ultimate in flexibility, reliability and speed. 2006Manufacturing in UK Xaar invested £6 million in a new manufacturing plant in Huntingdon, UK. 2007Xaar 1001 launched Xaar launched the revolutionary Xaar 1001 printhead with TF Technology™ delivering a significant step forward in inkjet reliability. Xaar is confirmed as a market-leader in the innovation of digital inkjet printing. 2009Xaar Proton launched The Xaar Proton was launched to deliver outstanding print quality, superior throughput and exceptional value for a range of applications, including wide-format graphics and coding & marking. Five label presses were launched by Xaar’s OEMs, demonstrating the Xaar 1001’s high quality, single-pass printing capability. 2010Capital investment programme £14 million was raised, after expenses, through placing an open offer to fund the £22 million capacity expansion at the Huntingdon facility to meet growing demand for the Xaar 1001 in the ceramics market. 2011Growth Xaar completes a second consecutive year above 25% sales growth through the adoption of the Xaar 1001 by the ceramics and label printing sectors. 2012Launch of Xaar 1001 GS12 announced Xaar announced the launch of the Xaar 1001 GS12. Xaar records a third consecutive year of revenue growth in excess of 25%, and posts a 74% increase in annual profits. The capacity expansion programme at Huntingdon successfully completes ahead of schedule and below budget. 2013Increasing capacity Ceramics conversion accelerates, driven by adoption of the technology in China. Further capital investment is undertaken to increase capacity by a further 75% by mid-2014 versus the status at the end of 2012. Corporate policies Quality Assurance Policy Xaar is committed to achieving the total satisfaction of its customers. We shall achieve this by continually improving our business processes to add value. Health & Safety Our Health & Safety policy provides a framework for the setting and reviewing of Occupational Health & Safety objectives. Environmental Policy This environmental policy commits the company to meet all applicable legal and other requirements to which we subscribe and that relate to our environmental aspects. Download policy Download policy Download policy Terms of Warranty This policy outlines the terms of warranty for Xaar products. End of Life Policy This document defines our policy which in turn helps our customers manage their end-of-life programmes. Terms & Conditions of Sale This policy outlines the terms and conditions of sale for any goods or services provided by Xaar. Download terms Download policy Download terms Terms & Conditions of Purchase This policy outlines Xaar's terms and conditions of purchase. Download terms Xaar global Xaar regional locations Authorised resellers Vist our contact page Download Xapp Get the new Xaar iPhone/iPad app – ‘Xapp’ – featuring augmented reality Connect with Xaar Accreditations Xaar’s Swedish and UK manufacturing facilities are ISO 9001 and ISO 14001 accredited. © 2014 Xaar plc. All rights reserved. Privacy policy. Registered in England No. 3320972. VAT No. 700266478