“StarFire SG1024” is not one printhead. It is a platform that Fujifilm Dimatix builds in well over a dozen configurations, all with the same 1,024 jets and the same 64.96 mm print width, and with drop sizes and ink paths that make them suitable for completely different jobs. Order the wrong suffix and the head will bolt straight into your machine — and print badly, or fail early.
Here is how to read the code, and how to tell which variant your press actually needs.
What every SG1024 shares
Before the differences, the common ground — because this is what makes the suffix so easy to overlook:
- 1,024 individually addressable jets across a 64.96 mm (2.55 in) print width.
- 400 dpi native in single colour, or 200 dpi in two-colour configuration.
- VersaDrop™ jetting — binary and greyscale from the same head.
- RediJet® continuous ink recirculation past the nozzles.
- A replaceable metal nozzle plate built for high-heat, high-abrasion production.
- 64-byte rewritable non-volatile memory, so the head’s data travels with the unit.
Everything below the surface — drop volume, firing frequency and the chemistry the ink path tolerates — is what the suffix code controls.
Reading the code: three drop families, plus a fine-detail set
The letters after SG1024 tell you the native drop size. In each family the second letter marks the smaller and larger option:
| Variant | Native drop | Max firing frequency | Best fit |
|---|---|---|---|
| XSA / XSC | 6 pL / 20 pL | 50 kHz | Aqueous, solvent and UV ink sets needing fine detail |
| SA / SC | 12 pL / 33 pL | 50 kHz | Graphics and labelling — the highest-throughput class |
| MA / MC | 30 pL / 80 pL | 30 kHz | General industrial and ceramic decoration |
| LA / LC | 80 pL / 200 pL | 20 kHz | Heavy laydown: dense colour, high-opacity work |
Note the pattern: firing frequency falls as drop size rises. A 200 pL head cannot be driven at 50 kHz, and a 12 pL head cannot lay down the ink volume a ceramic line needs in one pass. That is not a limitation to work around — it is the reason the platform spans 6 pL to 200 pL at all. At 400 dpi the top of the range is good for line speeds beyond 190 m/min.
The suffixes that are not about drop size
Once you have the drop family, the remaining letters describe the ink path and the environment:
- 2C — two-colour, twin-channel recirculating. The LA2C, MA2C and SA2C carry two independent channels in one body, so one head position can print two colours. Fewer heads, less alignment work, and the same recirculation behaviour on each channel.
- HF / FL — high flow. High-flow versions of the mid and large heads (listed as MCHF and LCHF, stocked here as MCFL and HFL) are built with larger circulation paths for glazes and other fluids that need more flow past the nozzles than the standard recirculation provides.
- NWC — non-wetting coated nozzle face. The nozzle face is treated so difficult inks do not wet and build up around the jet. Specify this when standard heads keep needing wipes on a problem ink.
- L3F — the harsh-fluid build. An 80/200 pL variant engineered to resist the aggressive fluids used in sand casting and metal sintering. This is the one variant you should never substitute with a standard LC, however similar the drop size looks on paper.
Ink compatibility: the same rule for every variant
All SG1024 variants run UV-curable, organic-solvent and aqueous inks in the 8–20 cP viscosity band and hold ink at up to 50 °C. That is a wide window, but it is a window — and the nozzle-face treatment and ink-path materials are what make a specific suffix right for a specific fluid. If your ink is outside that viscosity band, or if it is a heavily loaded glaze, the head you need is the one with the circulation path matched to it.
What the SG1024 gets fitted to
You will find this platform in grand-format UV flatbed and roll-to-roll printers, digital ceramic tile lines, textile presses and single-pass industrial systems. Because the same 64.96 mm geometry is used across the whole family, a machine can run different variants in different bar positions — for example a fine-drop head for detail and a large-drop head for white or varnish. That is a legitimate and common configuration, but it means the head in slot 3 is not necessarily the head in slot 1.
Three mistakes that cost money
- Matching by drop size only. A 80 pL LC and an 80/200 pL L3F are not the same product. One runs ceramic glaze, the other is built for molten-metal-adjacent processes.
- Assuming “SG1024” is enough for a quotation. Ask for the full suffix and the Fujifilm part number. If a supplier quotes “SG1024 compatible” without a suffix, you do not yet know what you are buying.
- Ignoring the two-colour option. If your machine has been running single-channel heads in adjacent positions to print two colours, an MA2C or SA2C may do the same work in one slot with better registration.
How to confirm the right variant
Send us the printer make and model, the position in the print bar, and the ink set you run. We will confirm the correct suffix — and if you are unsure whether the head currently fitted was ever changed, the SG1024 series page lists every variant we stock with its specifications. Full Dimatix StarFire and Polaris printhead range here, or contact us for a free fitment check.
FAQ
Is the SG1024 the same as the SG1024/MA?
No. “SG1024” is the platform; the suffix sets drop size and configuration. An MA runs 30 pL at 30 kHz, an SA runs 12 pL at 50 kHz — same body, different print result.
Can I mix variants in one print bar?
Yes, and it is common practice where one channel needs a larger drop. Confirm the controller can hold separate waveforms per position before you plan it.
Is the SG600 a drop-in alternative?
No. The SG600 doubles the jet count to 1,536 at 600 dpi across the same 64.98 mm width, and is a different machine specification — not a substitution.
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