![]() ![]() And lastly, the category of energy-curable inks covers three main energy curing methods-ultraviolet (UV), light-emitting diode (LED) and electron beam (EB). they see very little use in narrow web, but are occasionally the ink of choice for adhesives, coatings, etc. Solvent-based inks are used primarily in wide web applications like film packaging, overwraps, bags, pouches, etc. Water-based inks are used on wide web flexo presses for applications like paper packaging, overwraps, bags, etc., and in narrow web flexo for products like pressure-sensitive labels, tags, envelopes and the like. Always, always, always follow your ink supplier’s recommendations! They know their formulas and are the best guide for how to use their productsĪs previously mentioned, flexographic inks are divided into three main categories.This is generalized information-There are many variables for specific ink systems designed for specific applications, whose information and details may vary from this article.I’m not a chemist! I couldn’t formulate an ink if my life depended on it, but I do understand how inks work in the flexo printing process.Finally, we’ll cover some on-press variables that can affect ink performance and some basic suggestions for troubleshooting common ink problems.īefore we dig too deep, let me just offer three “qualifiers”: Also covered will be typical quality control (QC) checks used, and the tools and equipment required to perform those checks, both in the QC lab and in your pressroom. You’ll learn how ink manufacturers make these inks in both large bulk form and in small batches. We’ll explore the basic ingredients used in each chemistry, how they work in each type of ink and how they perform their functions on press. ![]() I’ll cover the basics of all three common flexographic ink chemistries-water based, solvent based and energy curable. In this article, I’ll try to recap the information that was conveyed in the webinar, along with a little bit of further detail about some of the topics that were of most interest to folks. We had good attendance, a lot of questions and a lot of follow-up communications. Last year, FTA asked me to do an FTA Member Webinar on the basics of flexographic inks. Ink-that magical, mystical fluid-delights designers, annoys accountants, inspires inkies and P-O’s press operators! We use it in flexo presses every day, all day, across the country and around the world, yet so many people don’t understand how ink really works, what it can and can’t do, and how to use it best to maximize productivity in the pressroom. For smaller batch sizes or for mixtures of different colored inks, blending is typically used at an ink company branch facility or a customer inkroom. Most ink manufacturers make large batches of common ink formulas, in order to maximize efficiency and manage costs. ![]()
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