HiTi Digital advances OLED and dye-sublimation technologies through global patents

Country Business Reports interviews and articles by Discovery Reports www.discoveryreports.com

Ushering in a new era of technological revolution to expand its global footprint in the next two to three years, photo development provider HiTi Digital is bracing for the transformation of its business by developing organic light-emitting diode (OLED) technology for various applications, such as electronics, screens and lighting.

“We should be able to commercialise our OLED technology and enter into mass production by 2023,” says Joe Huang, chairman and CEO. With more than 200 patents under its belt, HiTi marked a significant milestone when it obtained a patent for printing OLED in the US. “We also have patents in Japan, China and South Korea. We are waiting for the issuance of a patent in Taiwan as well.”

A pioneer in dye-sublimation, HiTi manufactures photo printers that are preferred by more than 100,000 studios and about 2 million professional photographers worldwide. Earmarking more than 50 per cent of its budget for research and development, the company is partnering with three top universities in Taiwan and the government’s Industrial Technology Research Institute to continuously spur innovation.

To enable faster printing for various sizes of photo paper, the digital photo printing expert is advancing its paper alignment technology. At present, HiTi printers can achieve a 4x6-inch page printout per second, which is about 40 prints per minute.

Aiming to make a difference in the world, HiTi is going green by producing eco-friendly materials. It is applying vertical integration and focusing on even the smallest production details. This year, HiTi boosted its green initiative when it reduced chemicals used in its formula and installed solar panels in its factory.

With the launch of its tandem printer, the company aims to grow its business fivefold by next year. “Apart from our goal in making dye-sublimation a standard in photo printing, we are exploring opportunities in the US and Europe,” Huang says.

www.hiti.com