Which ink is used for flexo printing?

Date: Aug 18 2024 From: Star Color

Flexographic printing is an efficient and flexible printing method, widely used in packaging, labels, books, newspapers and other fields. With its unique flexible printing plate, it can easily adapt to various substrates with complex shapes and surfaces, thus occupying an important position in the printing industry. As a key material, flexographic printing ink directly determines the printing effect and quality, and its performance characteristics are crucial to the presentation of the final product.

Classification of flexographic printing inks

Solvent-based flexographic inks
- Composition and characteristics : Solvent-based ink is mainly composed of pigments, resins, diluents and various additives. Its biggest feature is good volatility and rapid drying. This type of ink has strong fluidity and is suitable for use on high-speed printing machines to ensure the clarity and stability of the printed pattern.
- Application areas : Since solvent-based inks have good adhesion and weather resistance on non-absorbent substrates such as plastic bags and films, they are widely used in food packaging, pharmaceutical packaging, industrial supplies packaging and other fields.
Water-based flexographic ink
- Environmental advantages : Water-based ink uses water as the main solvent, supplemented by alcohol, cellosolve, etc., which significantly reduces the use of organic solvents and the emission of harmful gases, and meets modern environmental protection requirements.
- Classification and characteristics : Water-based inks can be divided into three types: alkali-soluble, emulsion and water-soluble. Among them, water-soluble inks are widely used due to their good stability and printing effect.
- Application areas : Water-based ink performs well on highly absorbent printing materials such as paper, cardboard, corrugated paper, etc., and is especially favored in the field of food packaging due to its safety.
UV curable flexographic ink (UV ink)
- Curing principle : UV ink undergoes a rapid chemical reaction under ultraviolet light, changing from liquid to solid, achieving rapid curing.
- Advantages and characteristics : UV ink has the advantages of high gloss, wear resistance, chemical corrosion resistance, and no pollution, and is suitable for the printing needs of high-quality products.
- Equipment requirements : UV ink needs to be used with special UV printing machines and light source equipment. The equipment cost is relatively high, but the printing efficiency and effect are excellent.
Other types of inks (such as EB inks)
- Brief introduction : EB ink is cured by electron beam accelerator, has stable curing mode and low environmental requirements, and is another choice for high-end printing ink.

Comparison table:

Ink Type	Main application areas	advantage	shortcoming
Solvent-based inks	Non-absorbent substrates	Fast drying, strong adhesion	High volatile organic compound emissions
Water-based ink	Absorbent substrates, food packaging	Environmentally friendly and highly safe	Relatively slow drying speed
UV ink	High-quality product printing	High gloss, strong wear resistance	High equipment cost and complicated operation
EB ink	Special needs high-end printing	Stable curing, low environmental requirements	High technical threshold and limited application scope

As the core material of flexographic printing technology, the performance characteristics of flexographic printing ink directly determine the printing effect and quality. With the enhancement of environmental awareness and the continuous advancement of technology, environmentally friendly inks will become the mainstream direction of future development. After years of development, water-based inks have become the mainstream of flexographic printing inks. UV inks will be selected for higher quality printing, while traditional solvent-based inks will be eliminated.

Huizhou Zhongzhixing Color Technology Co., Ltd., as a leader in the field of environmentally friendly inks, focuses on the research, development, production and sales of a series of high-performance water-based ink products. Our water-based inks have won wide recognition in the market for their excellent environmental performance, outstanding printing effects and stable quality. These inks not only meet international environmental standards such as REACH, RoHS, etc., but also have the characteristics of low VOC (volatile organic compounds) emissions, providing strong support for customers' green production. Zhongzhixing Color's water-based inks are widely used in sensitive fields such as food packaging, medical supplies packaging, and children's toy packaging to ensure that the products are safe and harmless, meeting the strict requirements of the global market for environmental protection and health.

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