With the environmental changes and the damage being done to the planet, the business houses are shifting to eco-friendly and safer raw materials. The whole idea is to save the planet for future generations. Likewise in the printing domain, the new and revolutionary UV ink is a much talked about and sought-after material for printing.
The concept of UV ink may seem exotic, but it is relatively simpler. After the printing command is done, the ink is exposed to UV light (instead of drying out in the sun) and then the UV light dries and solidifies the ink.
The UV heat or infrared heat technology is an intelligent invention. The infrared emitters transmit high energy in a short span and applied at the specific areas where it is needed and for the durations required. It dries up the UV ink instantly and can be applied to wide genre of products like books, brochures, labels, foils, packages and any kind of glass, steel, flexible
objects of any size and design.
What are the Advantages of UV Ink?
The conventional printing system used solvent ink or water based ink which used air or heat application to dry up. Due to drying up by air, this ink could lead to clogging in printing head sometimes. The new state-of-art printing has been accomplished by UV inks and UV ink is better than the solvent and other traditional inks. It offers the following advantages which makes it quintessential to modern day printing:
· Clean and Crystal Clear Printing
The printing job on the page is crystal clear with UV ink.The ink is resistant to smearing and looks neat and professional. It also offers a sharp contrast and an unmistakable gloss. There is a pleasant gloss after the printing is done. In short the printing quality is enhanced
multiple times with UV inks relative to water based solvents.
· Excellent Printing Speed and Cost-Efficient
Water-based and solvent based inks require a separate time consuming drying process; UV inks dry up faster with UV radiation and hence the printing efficiency goes up. Secondly there is no wastage of ink in the drying process and 100% ink is used in printing, so UV inks are more cost-efficient. On the other hand nearly 40% of water based or solvent based inks are wasted in the drying up process.
The turnaround time is much faster with UV inks.
· Consistency of Designs and Prints
With UV inks consistency and uniformity is maintained throughout the printing job. The color, sheen, pattern and gloss remain the same and there are no chances of blotchiness and patches. This makes UV ink suitable for allkinds of customized gifts, commercial products as well as household objects.
· Environmental Friendly
Unlike traditional inks, UV ink does not have solvents that evaporate and release VOCs which are considered harmful to the environment. This makes UV ink environment friendly. When printed on the surface for almost 12 hours, UV ink becomes odorless and can be contacted with the skin. Hence it is safe for the environment as well as human skin.
· Saves Cleaning Costs
UV ink dries up only with UV radiations and there are no accumulations inside the printer head. This saves additional cleaning costs. Even if the printing cells are left with ink on them, there will be no dried up ink and no clean-up costs.
It can be safely concluded that UV inks save time, money and environmental damages. It takes the printing experience to the next level altogether.
What are the Disadvantages of UV Ink?
However there are challenges using UV ink initially. The ink does not dry up without being cured. The initial start-up costs for UV ink is relatively higher and there are costs involved in buying and establishing multiple anilox rolls to fix colors.
The spillage of UV inks is even more unmanageable and the workers might trace their footsteps all across the floor if they accidentally step on UV ink spills. The operators have to be double alert to avoid any kind of skin contact as UV ink may cause skin irritation.
Conclusion
UV ink is a phenomenal asset to the printing industry. The advantages and the merits outweigh the disadvantages by an alarming number.Aily Group is the most authentic manufacturer and supplier of UV Flatbed printers and their team of professionals can easily guideyou about the uses and benefits of UV ink. For any kind of printing equipment or service, contact michelle@ailygroup.com.
Post time: Jul-25-2022