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Tagless SuppliesInkcups celebrates 25 years of pioneering direct-to-object printing innovation
As Inkcups celebrates two award wins for its newest machine, the company reflects on its journey from pad printing innovator to direct-to-object printing pioneer
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As Inkcups celebrates two award wins for its newest machine, the company reflects on its journey from pad printing innovator to direct-to-object printing pioneer
Danvers, Mass., November 3rd, 2026 – Global leader in direct-to-object printing technology, Inkcups has celebrated its 25th anniversary with a late-summer boat cruise out of Newburyport, Massachusetts, a busy week showcasing the company’s latest innovations at PRINTING United Expo in Las Vegas, Nevada, and two award wins for the recently launched Helix® High Throw.
Headquartered in Danvers, Massachusetts in the USA,Inkcups began with founder Benjamin Adner selling his patented universal ink cup and ceramic rings from his home. By 2006, the team had grown to 15 people, several of whom are still with the company, and Inkcups launched the Cobalt 1000, its first laser plate-maker for etching pad printing plates.
Numerous innovations followed, with the B100 1-color pad printer kick-starting the tagless garment label revolution in 2008 and Inkcups’ first inkjet printer for promotional items following in 2010. In 2012 came the XJET conveyorized industrial inkjet printer, which featured a patented loading mechanism that allowed for quick loading while the machine was actively printing – an industry first. By the time Inkcups introduced the groundbreaking Helix® cylindrical direct-to-object inkjet printer in 2016, the Inkcups team had grown to 79 people. In 2020, Inkcups expanded further, opening its European headquarters in Freudenberg, Germany.
As well as being Inkcups’ 25th year in business, 2026 marks the 10th anniversary of the launch of the Helix® cylindrical direct-to-object inkjet printer, which established Inkcups as the pioneer in direct-to-object cylindrical inkjet printing and has since transformed the promotional drinkware market. Over the intervening decade the Helix® family has grown with the introduction of the Double Helix® (2021), the Helix®+ (2022), the Helix ONE® (2023) and the Helix® High Throw (2026). Today there are machines from the Helix® family operating in 20 countries across five continents.
In recent years, Inkcups has continued to develop new equipment and technologies to address the challenges its customers face in the industrial, promotional and packaging markets. As a result, Inkcups has earned five prestigious PRINTING United Alliance Pinnacle Technology Awards and a Print Industry Award in just four years:
Ben Adner, Founder, Inkcups commented: “When I started Inkcups 25 years ago, I believed that the best way to build a lasting company was to listen closely to our customers and solve the production challenges others overlooked. That principle became the foundation for everything we do: developing solutions that make printing more efficient, expand what is possible, and help our customers create new opportunities. It has also driven us to continually experiment and develop new machines, technologies, and supplies.
“Our deep background in pad printing and expertise in adhesion across a wide range of substrates naturally led us to become pioneers in direct-to-object digital printing. I am proud of the many industry-changing developments Inkcups has brought to market to support our customers and advance the technology.
“I am so happy to see that we continue to push the industry forward, most recently with the Helix® High Throw Printer earning industry awards on both sides of the Atlantic. Twenty-five years later, the entrepreneurial spirit that founded Inkcups still drives us and continues to make me excited about the future of direct-to-object printing.”
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