What makes StarColor UV flexographic inks suitable for food packaging?

StarColor UV flexographic inks are formulated with FDA-compliant resins, low-migration monomers, and optimized photoinitiators, ensuring safety and compliance with international standards such as FDA 21 CFR 175.300 and GB 4806.10-2022. They deliver low migration levels (≤0.02 mg/kg) and maintain stability under high-temperature and humid conditions, making them ideal for food and pharmaceutical packaging.

How do StarColor UV flexographic inks reduce printing costs?

By optimizing raw material sourcing and curing efficiency, StarColor inks reduce total production costs by 30–40% compared to international brands. They are compatible with LED-UV curing, lowering energy consumption from 0.8 kWh to 0.3 kWh per square meter. For a production line printing 5 million m² annually, printers can save $77,000–84,000 per year in combined ink, energy, and waste reduction costs.

Comprehensive Analysis of StarColor UV Flexographic Inks

Date: Sep 03 2025 From: Star Color Views:

As a well-recognized Chinese manufacturer specializing in eco-friendly printing materials, Huizhou Zhongzhixing has built strong competitiveness in the fields of food packaging and label printing with its product positioning of “high curing efficiency, broad substrate adaptability, and regulatory safety.” By addressing common pain points of traditional UV inks and introducing innovative formulations, StarColor UV flexographic inks are designed to meet diverse performance needs across multiple printing scenarios.

This article provides a complete analysis of StarColor UV flexographic inks from five perspectives: technical formulation, core performance advantages, application scenarios, printing process requirements, and market competitiveness—offering professional guidance for printers in product selection and high-efficiency application.

1. Technical Formulation of StarColor UV Flexographic Inks

The core competitiveness of StarColor UV flexo inks lies in its resin–monomer–photoinitiator–additive formulation system, optimized to deliver balanced performance in curing speed, adhesion, regulatory compliance, and process adaptability. The product portfolio consists of three major series targeting mainstream applications.

1.1 Core Formulation

StarColor breaks away from the conventional “single-performance priority” logic of UV inks. By precisely balancing four key components, it achieves multi-dimensional performance advantages:

Resin System: Uses a hybrid of epoxy acrylate + polyurethane acrylate to overcome the brittleness of traditional UV inks. For food packaging applications, FDA-compliant resins (FDA 21 CFR 175.300) are used, ensuring migration levels ≤0.02 mg/kg.
Monomers: Incorporates trimethylolpropane triacrylate (TMPTA) and dipropylene glycol diacrylate (DPGDA), replacing hydrophilic monomers. The cured ink film achieves a water contact angle of 85°–90°, about 25% higher water resistance than the industry average.
Photoinitiator System: A dual-system of Irgacure 1173 (2-hydroxy-2-methylpropiophenone) + TPO (diphenyl(2,4,6-trimethylbenzoyl)phosphine oxide), enabling complete curing within ≤0.8 seconds—20% faster than comparable products.
Additives: Proprietary nano-silane coupling agents and micronized PE wax enhance adhesion and create a lubricated surface layer, improving scratch resistance to over 600 rub cycles (500 g load).

1.2 Three Product Series

Product Series	Core Advantages	Key Performance (Typical)	Applications
Food Packaging Series	Low migration, high safety, moisture resistance	Migration ≤0.02 mg/kg; withstands 85°C hot water for 1h without discoloration	Beverage labels, snack bags, infant food packaging
Outdoor Durability Series	UV resistance, chemical resistance	UV aging resistance (xenon lamp 1000h, ΔE ≤ 1.5); resistant to 5% acetic acid for 24h	Agrochemical labels, outdoor signage, logistics pallet tags
Low-Temperature Flexibility Series	Anti-cracking at -20°C, high flexibility	Withstands -20°C bending 100 cycles without ink loss; elongation ≥15%	Frozen food packaging, PE film, tube labels

2. Core Performance Advantages

Through extensive testing, StarColor UV flexo inks demonstrate distinct advantages in curing efficiency, substrate adaptability, safety compliance, and durability.

2.1 High Curing Efficiency

Traditional UV flexo inks often fail to fully cure at high speeds (>300 m/min). StarColor optimizes photoinitiator balance and resin reactivity, enabling complete curing even under demanding conditions.

Test Data: At 250 m/min with UV energy of 100 mJ/cm², inks achieved full curing (tack-free) with a crosslinking degree of 92%—7% higher than industry averages.
Energy Saving: Compatible with LED-UV curing systems, reducing energy consumption by up to 60% compared to mercury lamp UV. This translates into annual electricity savings of $4,000–$6,000. (converted from RMB)

2.2 Wide Substrate Compatibility

Printers often struggle with switching inks for different substrates. StarColor’s adhesion-promoting system ensures versatility across both absorbent and non-absorbent materials.

Non-Absorbent Substrates: On BOPP, PET, and PE films (≥38 dyn/cm surface energy), adhesion reaches 4B–5B in cross-cut tests, even without aggressive corona treatment.
Absorbent Substrates: On kraft paper and coated paper, ink penetration is controlled within 5–8 μm, avoiding strike-through. Halftone dot reproduction reaches 90% accuracy, supporting fine printing up to 150 LPI.
Special Substrates: Achieves direct adhesion on aluminum foil and metallized films, with peel strength ≥3 N/15 mm—ideal for premium packaging and metalized labels.

2.3 Safety & Compliance

For sensitive applications such as food and pharmaceuticals, regulatory compliance is a must. StarColor ensures full safety through material selection and rigorous testing.

China Standards: Fully compliant with GB 4806.10-2022 (Food Contact Coatings) and GB 38507-2020 (VOC limits for inks). Heavy metal migration (Pb, Cd, Hg, As) is below detection (<0.001 mg/kg).
International Certification: FDA 21 CFR 175.300 compliant, suitable for food-contact packaging destined for the U.S. and EU markets.

III. Key Application Guidelines

To maximize the performance of StarColor UV flexographic inks, proper storage and process parameters must be followed. Incorrect handling may cause performance degradation or printing defects.

1. Storage and Pre-Treatment

Storage Conditions: Store in a cool, dry place (15–25°C, 40–60% RH), away from direct sunlight. Shelf life is 6 months (unopened). Once opened, containers must be sealed and used within 7 days to avoid viscosity increase caused by solvent evaporation.
Pre-Treatment: Let the ink stand at room temperature for 2 hours before use. Filter through a 300-mesh screen and stir at 300–500 rpm.
Viscosity Adjustment: If viscosity exceeds 35 cps, add up to 5% StarColor UV thinner. Do not use general solvents (e.g., ethanol, ethyl acetate), as they may disrupt the curing system.

2. Printing Process Parameters

Product Series	UV Energy (mJ/cm²)	Printing Speed (m/min)	Anilox Roller (lpi)	Printing Pressure (bar)	Drying Temp (°C)
Food Packaging Grade	90–110	200–280	400–600	1.8–2.5	40–50
Outdoor Weather-Resistant	100–120	180–250	300–500	2.0–2.8	50–60
Low-Temperature Flexible	80–100	220–300	500–700	1.5–2.2	35–45

UV Lamp Selection: LED-UV (365 nm) is recommended for stable energy and long service life (10,000–20,000 hours). For traditional mercury lamps, replace every 800 hours to avoid curing issues caused by energy decay.
Substrate Pre-Treatment: Non-absorbent substrates (BOPP, PET) must have ≥38 dyn/cm surface tension; PE substrates require mild corona treatment (38–40 dyn/cm). Absorbent substrates (e.g., kraft paper) should be pre-conditioned to 6–8% moisture content to avoid deformation during printing.

3. Common Problems & Solutions

Problem	Possible Cause	Solution
Ink remains tacky (under-cured)	Insufficient UV energy, excessive speed, expired photoinitiator	1. Increase UV energy within range; 2. Reduce speed by 10–20%; 3. Replace expired ink
Poor adhesion (≤2B)	Low substrate surface tension, insufficient pressure	1. Re-treat substrate (≥38 dyn/cm); 2. Increase pressure by 0.3–0.5 bar
Ink foaming	Excess substrate moisture, overheating	1. Adjust moisture to 6–8%; 2. Lower drying temp by 5–10°C, extend drying time
Dot gain (blurring)	High viscosity, anilox too fine	1. Add ≤5% thinner, reduce viscosity to 25–30 cps; 2. Use lower line anilox roller

IV. Market Competitiveness

StarColor combines performance, cost efficiency, and service to stand out in the UV flexographic ink market. It is especially suitable for printers seeking “cost-effective and scenario-specific solutions.”

1. Cost Advantages

High cost is often a barrier for SMEs adopting UV flexo inks. StarColor reduces costs through supply chain optimization and formulation innovation, while maintaining high performance.

Raw Material Cost Control: Long-term partnerships with leading resin suppliers, plus resin–monomer blending, reduce price by 30–40% compared to international brands ($16–20/kg) and 15–20% compared to premium domestic brands ($13–15/kg).
Operating Cost Savings: Thanks to higher curing efficiency and LED-UV compatibility, energy consumption drops from 0.8 kWh to 0.3 kWh per square meter. With 1 million m²/year printing volume, annual electricity savings reach $7,000–9,000. Ink utilization exceeds 95%, minimizing waste.
Total Cost Calculation: For a packaging line producing 5 million m² annually, switching to StarColor UV flexo ink saves around $28,000 in ink costs compared to international brands, plus an additional $49,000–56,000 in energy and waste reduction savings. Total annual savings: $77,000–84,000.

V. Future Technology Roadmap

StarColor is actively developing next-generation technologies to reinforce its competitive edge.

VOC-Free UV Flexo Ink
Current UV inks contain small amounts of solvents (VOC ≤8 g/L). Future formulations aim to achieve VOC ≤1 g/L using “solid resin + reactive monomer” systems, meeting upcoming EU zero-VOC standards (2027) without sacrificing curing speed or water resistance.
Smart-Responsive Inks
Development of photochromic + UV-curable hybrid inks enables post-printing color change (e.g., UV-activated security labels). Temperature-sensitive monomers allow inks to change color at ~60°C, enabling freshness monitoring for food (e.g., milk spoilage indicators).
Digital Formulation Management
A digital ink formulation database will map substrates to ink recipes. Customers can scan a code to receive optimized parameters, submit customization requests online, and obtain adjusted formulas within 3–5 days, reducing turnaround time and improving service efficiency.

VI. Conclusion: Why Choose StarColor UV Flexo Ink

StarColor UV flexographic inks strike a balance between safety, performance, and cost, addressing the challenges of compliance, substrate variety, and cost pressure faced by Chinese printers.

For export-oriented, high-end food packaging, StarColor ensures international compliance and safety margins.
For cost-sensitive, multi-substrate printing, it provides price advantages and broad adaptability.

Looking ahead, StarColor will continue to focus on green printing and smart manufacturing, driving UV flexographic inks from “functional” to “intelligent + eco-friendly” solutions, helping printers achieve high-quality, low-energy, and sustainable growth.

For detailed product parameters or tailored application advice, please contact the StarColor technical support team.