Case Study: Water-Based Flexo Ink for Paper Cups in Thailand

In Southeast Asia’s fast-growing paper cup packaging market, environmental compliance and print quality are critical competitive factors. A leading Thai paper products printer serving beverage and fast-food chains faced increasing challenges due to inconsistent ink quality and tightening VOC regulations.

Project Background

Established in 2015, the Thai printing plant produces over 80 million paper cups annually for more than 10 local restaurant and beverage brands. Following updates to Thailand’s industrial emission regulations, VOC limits for printing workshops were reduced from 150 mg/m³ to 50 mg/m³.

The company previously relied on water-based inks from small local suppliers. However, unstable quality, poor water resistance, batch-to-batch color variation, and delayed deliveries led to frequent customer complaints and lost business.

Zhongzhixing’s Solution

After multiple rounds of testing and on-site evaluations, the printer selected Zhongzhixing as its water-based ink partner. A customized flexographic ink solution was developed for food-grade paper cups (250 g/m² SBS board), combined with full technical support.

Customized Water-Based Flexographic Ink

• Low VOC & Food-Safe: VOC content as low as 8 g/L, compliant with Thailand regulations and EU food contact standards (EU 10/2011).
• Excellent Water Resistance: No discoloration or bleeding after 30 minutes in 85°C hot water, suitable for hot beverage cups.
• Fast Drying: Surface drying within 2 seconds, supporting flexo press speeds up to 180 m/min.
• High Color Accuracy: Fine pigment dispersion enables precise brand color matching with ΔE ≤ 0.8.

Process & Technical Support

• Optimization of press settings and ink transfer systems
• Guidance on dilution, mixing, and storage of water-based inks
• Substrate adaptation advice, including optional water-based pre-coating
• 24-hour technical response and on-site support when required

Results Achieved

Environmental Compliance

VOC emissions in the production workshop dropped to 28 mg/m³, well below regulatory limits. The plant passed government inspections smoothly and obtained local green printing certification.

Improved Print Quality

Print consistency and color uniformity improved significantly. Customer complaints fell from 8% to zero, while repeat order rates exceeded 95%. Brand owners reported enhanced visual quality and better resistance to heat and moisture.

Higher Efficiency & Lower Cost

• Production cycle reduced from 2–3 days to 1 day
• Waste rate decreased from 5% to 0.5%
• Annual waste reduction of approximately 4 million paper cups
• Environmental treatment costs reduced by about 12%

Customer Feedback

“Our transition to water-based inks was a major step for us. Zhongzhixing not only delivered stable, high-performance ink, but also helped our team quickly adapt to water-based printing. Today, we are more compliant, more efficient, and more competitive.”

Conclusion

As environmental regulations tighten worldwide, water-based flexographic inks are becoming the preferred solution for paper cup and food packaging printing. This successful collaboration in Thailand demonstrates Zhongzhixing’s ability to deliver reliable, compliant, and high-quality ink solutions tailored to real production needs.

Zhongzhixing will continue to focus on water-based ink innovation, supporting global printers in achieving sustainable growth and high-quality packaging production.