STS inks
STS Inks is a US-based manufacturer founded in 1999 that produces OEM-compatible replacement inks and proprietary printing equipment — including DTF, UV, and dye sublimation printers — for SMB print service providers across North, Central, and Latin America.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1999
- HeadquartersBoca Raton, United States
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingHardware or Manufacturing
What STS inks does
STS Inks (formerly STS Refill Technology) is a US-headquartered ink manufacturer founded in 1999 that produces OEM-compatible replacement inks and proprietary printing equipment for the large and wide format print market. The company formulates consumables across a broad chemistry range — dye sublimation, eco-solvent, mild solvent, hard solvent, aqueous, UV curable, latex, direct-to-garment (DTG), direct-to-film (DTF), and edible inks — covering 13+ printer brands including Brother, Canon, Epson, Fuji, HP, Kyocera, Mimaki, Mutoh, Oce Arizona, Ricoh, Roland, Seiko, and Vutek. Its core value proposition is plug-and-print compatibility that avoids color-profile or line-flush changes, offered at materially lower prices than OEM cartridges (up to ~50% less on comparable SKUs such as Brother GTX and Canon PFI series), with CPSIA and Oeko-Tex certifications on Brother DTG inks to support textile compliance requirements.
Beyond consumables, STS has built out an adjacent equipment business producing DTF printers (XPD-724, 924D), UV flatbed printers, dye sublimation printers, cylindrical UV printers, and supporting DTF workflow hardware including TPU powder shakers, curing ovens, air filters, and RIP software. Revenue is generated through direct e-commerce at stsinks.com, with same-day shipping on in-stock orders placed by 3pm EST and customer financing facilitated through a partnership with MMP Capital. The company sells primarily to SMB print service providers in the sign, banner, vehicle-wrap, textile, photography, and edible-print segments across North, Central, and Latin America, supported by offices in Boca Raton (HQ), Envigado (Colombia), and Sofia (Bulgaria). Distribution is anchored on the DTC storefront with supplemental lead generation through trade-show appearances at ASI, FESPA, and ISA events, plus content marketing via blog and email newsletter.
STS inks firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- STS inks
- Legal name
- STS Inks
- Website
- https://stsinks.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1999
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- STS Inks is a US-based manufacturer founded in 1999 that produces OEM-compatible replacement inks and proprietary printing equipment — including DTF, UV, and dye sublimation printers — for SMB print service providers across North, Central, and Latin America.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
STS inks industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Wide Format Printing Inks
- NAICS
- Printing Ink Manufacturing (32591)
- SIC
- Printing Trades Machinery & Equipment (3555)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Digital & Specialty Inks (Inkjet, UV, Conductive) (IMAEAHAI)
- akta.pro secondary industry
- Production & High-Volume Printing Systems (HDACAEAJ)
Keywords
Where STS inks is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Boca Raton
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices3 records
Markets served
STS inks business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Hardware or Manufacturing
- Cost components
- Supply Chain, Operations, Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure
Revenue model
- Replacement Ink Cartridges and Bulk Inks: STS Inks generates revenue through selling OEM-compatible replacement ink cartridges, bags, and bulk ink systems for large format printers. Products span multiple ink types (eco-solvent, UV curable, dye sublimation, DTG, DTF, latex, etc.) and are compatible with major printer brands. Pricing ranges from $14.99 for small cartridges to $236+ for bulk systems.
- DTF Printers and Equipment: Sale of proprietary DTF printers (STS XPD-724, 924D), UV flatbed printers, powder shakers, curing ovens, air filters, and related equipment. The company also offers DTF film rolls, TPU transfer powders, and shaker parts.
- Printhead Sales: Sale of replacement printheads for Canon (PF-03, PF-05), Epson (DX4, DX5, DX7, i3200-A1), and DTF printer parts.
- Technical Services and Support: STS Inks provides technical services, spare parts, and custom ink formulation services alongside their product sales.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | DTF Ink Cartridges (220ml-1L) |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Brother DTG Replacement Inks |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Canon PFI Series Cartridges |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Eco-Solvent Inks |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | UV Curable Inks |
Go-to-market motion2 records
Distribution channels1 record
Marketing channels5 records
STS inks product offering
Product offeringCore offering
STS Inks manufactures and distributes OEM-compatible replacement ink cartridges and bulk inks for large and wide format printers, including DTF, DTG, eco-solvent, UV curable, dye sublimation, latex, and aqueous ink chemistries. The company also sells DTF printers, UV flatbed printers, eco-solvent printers, and dye sublimation printers along with related consumables such as DTF film, TPU powder, curing ovens, and printheads, targeting sign makers, garment decorators, and professional print service providers.
Product overview
STS Inks is a USA-based ink manufacturer founded in 1999, specializing in replacement inks and printing equipment for large and wide format printers. The company operates as a one-stop shop offering a comprehensive portfolio of products organized into several categories: (1) Proprietary DTF and UV Printers including the STS XPD-924D, STS AI Flatbed UV, STS C-3 Cylindrical UV, and various UV Flatbed models; (2) Eco Solvent and Dye Sublimation Printers such as the 724N Neon Eco Solvent and 724F Fluorescent Dye Sublimation models; (3) Replacement Inks across multiple ink types including DTF inks, Eco-Solvent, UV Curable, Latex, Aqueous, Dye Sublimation, and specialty inks compatible with major brands (Brother, Canon, Epson, HP, Mimaki, Mutoh, Oce Arizona, Ricoh, Roland, Seiko, Vutek); (4) DTF Equipment and Consumables including TPU Powder Shakers, DTF Film Rolls, Transfer Powder in various grades (P-2 through P-7), Curing Ovens, and Cleaning Solutions; (5) Printheads and Spare Parts for Canon and Epson printers; and (6) RIP Software (neoStampa DELTA). The company emphasizes 'Made in USA' manufacturing, offering over 20 years of industry experience with products designed as plug-and-play alternatives to OEM cartridges at reduced costs.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- DTF (Direct-to-Film) Ink Pigment-based ink formulated for DTF printers used in garment and apparel decoration, sold to garment printers and apparel decoration businesses.
- DTG (Direct-to-Garment) Ink Ink formulated for direct-to-garment printers, designed for use in apparel printing workflows.
- Eco-Solvent Ink Eco-solvent ink for sign, banner, and vinyl printing applications on compatible wide format printers.
- UV Curable Ink UV curable ink designed for UV flatbed printers used in rigid substrate and specialty printing.
- Dye Sublimation Ink Dye sublimation ink for heat transfer printing onto polyester fabrics and sublimation-coated substrates.
- Latex Ink Water-based latex ink compatible with latex wide format printers used in sign and display production.
- Aqueous Ink Water-based aqueous ink for wide format printers used in fine art, photo, and indoor graphics applications.
- DTF Printer Equipment Direct-to-film printers distributed for use in garment printing and apparel decoration businesses.
- UV Flatbed Printer UV flatbed printers distributed for rigid substrate printing and specialty production applications.
- Eco-Solvent Printer Eco-solvent printers distributed for sign, banner, and vinyl printing operations.
- Dye Sublimation Printer Dye sublimation printers distributed for heat transfer production workflows.
- DTF Film Transfer film consumable used in DTF printing workflows for garment decoration.
- TPU Powder
- Curing Ovens Curing ovens used to melt and bond TPU powder onto DTF prints during transfer finishing.
- Printheads Replacement printheads sold as spare parts for wide format printers used in commercial printing operations.
Quantifiable outcome
- Cost savings of up to 50% compared to OEM cartridge pricing
- +2 more outcomes
Companies that use STS inks
Customer profileNamed customers5 records
Segments4 records
Ideal customer profiles2 records
STS inks technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature4 records
STS inks partnerships and signals
Strategic signalScale indicators3 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights6 records
STS inks competitors and assessment
Company assessmentBroad incumbents
- Sun Chemical: World's largest producer of printing inks and pigments, with digital inks used in wide-format and packaging printing. A scale incumbent whose product breadth and R&D budget dwarf STS.
- INX International Ink Co. Major global ink manufacturer offering commercial, packaging, and digital inks including wide-format and UV lines. Operates at significantly larger scale than STS but serves overlapping printer OEM compatibility requirements.
- HP Large Format Printing: OEM manufacturer of DesignJet, PageWide XL, Latex, and Scitex large-format printers and supplies. The dominant OEM whose consumables STS targets as the aftermarket alternative.
- Epson Professional Imaging: OEM manufacturer of SureColor series wide-format printers and UltraChrome inks, including models targeted by STS for compatible aftermarket cartridges (UltraChrome GS, K2, HDR).
Direct peers
- Nazdar Ink Technologies: One of the largest aftermarket manufacturers of screen printing and digital wide-format inks in North America, offering compatible inks for the same major printer brands (Mimaki, Roland, HP, Epson) that STS targets. Most direct competitor in the OEM-compatible ink space.
- Bordeaux Digital PrintInk: Israel-based manufacturer of aftermarket inks for wide-format printers including eco-solvent, UV, dye sublimation, and DTG inks. Directly competes with STS on cross-OEM compatibility and plug-and-play replacement positioning.
- Marabu North America: Manufacturer of digital printing inks (UV, eco-solvent, water-based, screen) for industrial and graphic applications. Competes with STS in UV curable and specialty inks for wide-format digital printers.
- InkTec America: Korea-headquartered inkjet ink manufacturer producing compatible inks for desktop and wide-format printers. Overlaps with STS on inkjet refill and aftermarket consumables across multiple OEM brands.
- Triangle Ink: US-based aftermarket ink manufacturer specializing in screen printing inks and digital inkjet inks for wide-format printers. Competes with STS in compatible ink chemistries sold to print service providers.
Emerging players
- Sawgrass Technologies: Specializes in dye sublimation inks and printers for personalization and on-demand printing. Directly overlaps STS's dye sublimation line and addresses the same SMB custom-apparel and promo-product customers.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
STS inks social profiles
Digital presenceSTS inks compliance and trust
Trust signalCompliance2 records
STS inks financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
STS inks leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles1 record
STS inks funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
STS inks M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about STS inks
What does STS inks do?
STS Inks manufactures and distributes OEM-compatible replacement ink cartridges and bulk inks for large and wide format printers, including DTF, DTG, eco-solvent, UV curable, dye sublimation, latex, and aqueous ink chemistries. The company also sells DTF printers, UV flatbed printers, eco-solvent printers, and dye sublimation printers along with related consumables such as DTF film, TPU powder, curing ovens, and printheads, targeting sign makers, garment decorators, and professional print service providers.
Is STS inks a public or private company?
STS inks is a private company. It is classified as founder individual operated bootstrapped and is currently operating.
When was STS inks founded?
STS inks was founded in 1999. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is STS inks based?
STS inks is headquartered in Boca Raton, United States, in the North America region.
How does STS inks make money?
Four revenue lines are on record. Replacement Ink Cartridges and Bulk Inks are the primary driver. The others are DTF Printers and Equipment, printhead Sales and technical Services and Support.
Who are STS inks's main competitors?
Broad incumbents on record are Sun Chemical, INX International Ink Co., HP Large Format Printing and Epson Professional Imaging. Direct peers are Nazdar Ink Technologies, Bordeaux Digital PrintInk, Marabu North America, InkTec America and Triangle Ink. Sawgrass Technologies is listed as an emerging player.
Does STS inks have an API?
No public API is recorded for STS inks.
What industry is STS inks in?
STS inks's product category is Wide Format Printing Inks. Its primary akta.pro industry code is IMAEAHAI, Digital & Specialty Inks (Inkjet, UV, Conductive), with a secondary code of HDACAEAJ, Production & High-Volume Printing Systems. Its NAICS code is 32591 and its SIC code is 3555.