Flexographic ink

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Flexographic inks are inks transferred by the process of flexography, primarily used in the printing of packing materials (cardboard boxes, corrugated cardboard, paper bags and plastic bags, food packaging, labels, newspapers, catalogues, etc.). [1] The inks and method of printing continues to grow in popularity due to its low cost and environmentally friendly nature. The most important part of the printing process is the application of the ink.

Contents

Types

The main types of flexographic ink are water based, [2] solvent and UV curable. [3] The printing surface (substrate type) dictates what ink type it is advisable to use. Each type of ink has its advantages and disadvantages, therefore the type of ink used in printing is determined by factors such as price, speed, and the use of the packaging (food, cleaning, or shopping bags).

History

In the early stages of flexography, aniline dye ink was used. Because of its toxicity, its use in food packaging was banned and it brought on complications due to frequent staining and the need for bleeding. Over time, changes and improvements were made, involving the substitution of aniline dye for polyamide resins which speed up the drying process and as such the overall printing process itself.

Solvent-based inks began to be used, which were safe for food packaging, but harmful to the environment. The Environmental Law of the 1980s led to printers trying out water-based inks. Today, most printers are easily adapted to water-based inks, allowing printers to recycle ink for later use.

Usage

George Sickinger, [4] CEO of International Colour Resolutions, says that "over time, water-based inks have a much higher herbal resin content and will become the new standard for the formulation of water bases. "Sickinger also stated that the UV-curable inks require less energy and produce less waste, while the quality is higher.

The Environmental Protection Agency has worked with the flexographic industry in the design of a project to help flexographic businesses, promoting water-based inks for their low power consumption, and UV curable ink systems, because they use less ink.

Currently in the EU, there are 2 institutions that provide companies with the "OK COMPOST" and "COMPOSTABLE" certification, VINÇOTTE [5] and DIN CERTCO, to be used by inks in the print of bioplastics that fulfill the requirements of biodegrading and compost ability. One of the first ink producers, in the beginning of the year 2000, to obtain this certification and commercialize these types of inks was Chimigraf. [6]

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ink</span> Liquid or paste that contains pigments or dyes

Ink is a gel, sol, or solution that contains at least one colorant, such as a dye or pigment, and is used to color a surface to produce an image, text, or design. Ink is used for drawing or writing with a pen, brush, reed pen, or quill. Thicker inks, in paste form, are used extensively in letterpress and lithographic printing.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Magenta</span> Color

Magenta is a purplish-red color. On color wheels of the RGB (additive) and CMY (subtractive) color models, it is located precisely midway between red and blue. It is one of the four colors of ink used in color printing by an inkjet printer, along with yellow, cyan, and black to make all other colors. The tone of magenta used in printing, printer's magenta, is redder than the magenta of the RGB (additive) model, the former being closer to rose.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Inkjet printing</span> Type of computer printing

Inkjet printing is a type of computer printing that recreates a digital image by propelling droplets of ink onto paper and plastic substrates. Inkjet printers were the most commonly used type of printer in 2008, and range from small inexpensive consumer models to expensive professional machines. By 2019, laser printers outsold inkjet printers by nearly a 2:1 ratio, 9.6% vs 5.1% of all computer peripherals. As of 2023, sublimation printers have outsold inkjet printers by nearly a 2:1 ratio, accounting for 9.6% of all computer peripherals, compared to 5.1% for inkjet printers.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Flexography</span> Form of printing process

Flexography is a form of printing process which utilizes a flexible relief plate. It is essentially a modern version of letterpress, evolved with high speed rotary functionality, which can be used for printing on almost any type of substrate, including plastic, metallic films, cellophane, and paper. It is widely used for printing on the non-porous substrates required for various types of food packaging.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Offset printing</span> Printing technique

Offset printing is a common printing technique in which the inked image is transferred from a plate to a rubber blanket and then to the printing surface. When used in combination with the lithographic process, which is based on the repulsion of oil and water, the offset technique employs a flat (planographic) image carrier. Ink rollers transfer ink to the image areas of the image carrier, while a water roller applies a water-based film to the non-image areas.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Soy ink</span> Plant

Soy ink is a plant-based ink made from soybeans. Soy-based ink is environmentally friendly and provides precise colours. However, it is slower to dry than many inks.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Label</span> Material affixed to a container or article with printed information

A label is a piece of paper, plastic film, cloth, metal, or other material affixed to a container or product, on which is written or printed information or symbols about the product or item. Information printed directly on a container or article can also be considered labelling.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Wide-format printer</span> Computer-controlled printing machine

Wide format printers are generally accepted to be any computer-controlled printing machines (printers) that support a maximum print roll width of between 18 and 100 inches. Printers with capacities over 100 in wide are considered super-wide or grand format. Wide-format printers are used to print banners, posters, trade show graphics, wallpaper, murals, backlit film (duratrans), vehicle image wraps, electronic circuit schematics, architectural drawings, construction plans, backdrops for theatrical and media sets, and any other large format artwork or signage. Wide-format printers usually employ some variant of inkjet or toner-based technology to produce the printed image; and are more economical than other print methods such as screen printing for most short-run print projects, depending on print size, run length, and the type of substrate or print medium. Wide-format printers are usually designed for printing onto a roll of print media that feeds incrementally during the print process, rather than onto individual sheets.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Photopolymer</span>

A photopolymer or light-activated resin is a polymer that changes its properties when exposed to light, often in the ultraviolet or visible region of the electromagnetic spectrum. These changes are often manifested structurally, for example hardening of the material occurs as a result of cross-linking when exposed to light. An example is shown below depicting a mixture of monomers, oligomers, and photoinitiators that conform into a hardened polymeric material through a process called curing.

A UV coating is a surface treatment which either is cured by ultraviolet radiation, or which protects the underlying material from such radiation's harmful effects. They have come to the fore because they are considered environmentally friendly and do not use solvents or produce volatile organic compounds (VOCs), or Hazardous Air Pollutant (HAPs), although some materials used for UV coating, such as PVDF in smart phones and tablets, are known to contain substances harmful to both humans and the environment.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Paper cup</span> Cup mostly made of paper or card

A paper cup is a disposable cup made out of paper and often lined or coated with plastic or wax to prevent liquid from leaking out or soaking through the paper. It may be made of recycled paper.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Pad printing</span> Technique used for printing images onto 3D surfaces

Pad printing is a printing process that can transfer a 2-D image onto a 3-D object. This is accomplished using an indirect offset (gravure) printing process that involves an image being transferred from the cliché via a silicone pad onto a substrate. Pad printing is used for printing on otherwise difficult to print on products in many industries including medical, automotive, promotional, apparel, and electronic objects, as well as appliances, sports equipment and toys. It can also be used to deposit functional materials such as conductive inks, adhesives, dyes and lubricants.

Flatbed digital printers, also known as flatbed printers or flatbed UV printers, are printers characterized by a flat surface upon which a material is placed to be printed on. Flatbed printers are capable of printing on a wide variety of materials such as photographic paper, film, cloth, plastic, pvc, acrylic, glass, ceramic, metal, wood, leather, etc.). Flatbed digital printers usually use UV curable inks made of acrylic monomers that are then exposed to strong UV-light to cure, or polymerize them. This process allows for printing on a wide variety of surfaces such as wood or canvas, carpet, tile, and even glass. The adjustable printing bed makes it possible to print on surfaces ranging in thickness from a sheet of paper often up to as much as several inches. Typically used for commercial applications, flatbed printing is often a substitute for screen-printing. Since no printing plates or silkscreens must be produced, digital printing technology allows shorter runs of signs to be produced economically. Many of the high-end flatbed printers allow for roll-feed, allowing for unattended printing.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Plastic bottle</span> Narrow-necked container

A plastic bottle is a bottle constructed from high-density or low density plastic. Plastic bottles are typically used to store liquids such as water, soft drinks, motor oil, cooking oil, medicine, shampoo, milk, and ink. The size ranges from very small bottles to large carboys. Consumer blow molded containers often have integral handles or are shaped to facilitate grasping.

Digital textile printing is described as any ink jet based method of printing colorants onto fabric. Most notably, digital textile printing is referred to when identifying either printing smaller designs onto garments and printing larger designs onto large format rolls of textile. The latter is a growing trend in visual communication, where advertisement and corporate branding is printed onto polyester media. Examples are: flags, banners, signs, retail graphics.

A contract proof usually serves as an agreement between customer and printer and as a color reference guide for adjusting the press before the final press run. Most contract proofs are a prepress proof.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Beverage can printing</span>

Beverage can printing refers to the art and practice of applying an image to a metal beverage can, to advertise its contents.

Chimigraf is a Spanish multinational company engaged in the production of inks for flexography, rotogravure, digital systems, and screen printing. It has its own technology in the development of ink-jet inks. It has a presence in over 40 countries around the world.

Stone paper products, also referred to as bio-plastic paper, mineral paper or rich mineral paper, are strong and durable paper-like materials manufactured from calcium carbonate bonded with high-density polyethylene (HDPE) resin. They are used in many of the same applications as cellulose-based paper.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">UV curing</span>

UV curing is the process by which ultraviolet light is used to initiate a photochemical reaction that generates a crosslinked network of polymers. UV curing is adaptable to printing, coating, decorating, stereolithography, and in the assembly of a variety of products and materials. In comparison to other technologies, curing with UV energy may be considered a low-temperature process, a high-speed process, and is a solventless process, as cure occurs via direct polymerization rather than by evaporation. Originally introduced in the 1960s, this technology has streamlined and increased automation in many industries in the manufacturing sector.

References

  1. ↑ "Evolution in Printing Technology: History, Types and Effects on Businesses". November 14, 2019. Retrieved 2019-11-16.
  2. ↑ "Everything to Know About Flexographic Inks". Gellner Industrial. Retrieved 2019-11-16.
  3. ↑ "4 Types of Flexographic Inks & When to Use Them". Luminite. May 8, 2019. Retrieved 2019-11-16.
  4. ↑ "George Sickinger". entrepreneur.com. Retrieved April 1, 2008.[ dead link ]
  5. ↑ "VINÇOTTE" (PDF). vincotte.be. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2011-04-09.
  6. ↑ "Chimigraf" (PDF). vincotte.be. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2011-06-27.
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