Printed Electronics & Flexible Hybrid Electronics worked example

Ink Coverage at 61% screen-to-substrate transfer efficiency: a worked example in printed electronics & flexible hybrid electronics

This worked example runs the ink coverage numbers for a tougher week than the baseline: 61% screen-to-substrate transfer efficiency instead of the typical 85%. Ink Coverage tells a printed-electronics line how much functional ink it must actually issue to cover a given substrate area once real-world transfer losses are factored in.

The inputs for this scenario

  • Substrate area or panels to be printed: 500 units (held at the documented default)
  • Ink deposit per unit area (wet g): 0.08 units (held at the documented default)
  • Screen-to-substrate transfer efficiency: 61 % (the input this scenario stresses; the baseline uses 85)

Working through the calculation

  • The calculation starts from the formula this tool documents: Required ink coverage = covered amount × use per unit ÷ transfer efficiency.
  • Required quantity works out to 65.57 units at these inputs, and this is the headline figure for the scenario.
  • Theoretical amount works out to 40 units at these inputs.
  • Loss allowance works out to 25.57 units at these inputs.
  • Efficiency works out to 61 % at these inputs.

How this compares with the baseline

  • Against the tool's baseline example, where screen-to-substrate transfer efficiency sits at 85% and the headline result is 47.06 units, this scenario comes in 39.34% above the baseline at 65.57 units.
  • Use it when sizing an ink batch for a print run, quoting a coverage-driven job, or estimating scrap and reorder points for silver, carbon or dielectric inks. A result at this level usually justifies acting on the stressed input before touching anything else, because every other figure in the table is downstream of it.

Results at a glance

  • Required quantity: 65.57 units (headline result)
  • Theoretical amount: 40 units
  • Loss allowance: 25.57 units
  • Efficiency: 61 %

Run it with your numbers

  • To rerun this with your own numbers, open the live Ink Coverage calculator, set screen-to-substrate transfer efficiency to your actual value, and adjust the remaining inputs to match your operation.

Last reviewed 2026-05-12.