Consumables

It goes without saying that inks are part and parcel of achieving good quality print; if the quality of the inks isn't up to scratch then you're not going to get the best out of your press. Cheap inks can slow productivity and affect print quality.

As presses get faster then the inks need to continue to improve with respect to their press performance and ink water balance, explains Claire Ashby, technical sales and support manager at Heidelberg’s consumables division.

As a result, ink manufacturers are working in unison with the big press players along with roller and blanket manufacturers to develop products that meet the demands of the modern market.

As Steve Bell, Sun Chemical’s UK commercial business director, explains: It has been necessary for ink companies to ensure products can deliver excellent printability, fast setting and low misting on high-speed presses.

New inks are continuously being launched in response to these pressures with the major challenge being to minimise misting and maintain a stable ink water balance particularly when running with reduced alcohol or alcohol free. We have also seen the introduction of low migration inks for the packaging market in order to maintain compliance, especially with the regulation EC 2023/2006, which came into effect in August, says Ashby.

The legislation calls for good manufacturing practice for materials that come into contact with food. It details rules for processes involving printing inks, stating that inks must not transfer through the substrate onto food.

Many companies are diversifying, which means that selecting the right ink for the right application is crucial. Printers also need to consider the substrate being used and finishing processes.

The increased use of uncoated papers, on jobs with medium to heavy ink coverage, means that a printer may need to use a special ink just for that material, says Ashby. Buying higher pigmentation ink might be more useful than cheaper alternatives as this will last longer on the press, reducing usage and bring down the number of blanket washes required.

Meanwhile, green issues are still having an impact. We continue to see a general shift towards the use of mineral-oil free inks and products which meet the various ISO environmental standards, says Sun Chemical’s Bell.

WHAT'S NEW IN... SHEETFED OFFSET & SCREEN PROCESS INKS

• At Drupa, Flint Group signed a two-year deal with Pensord, to supply the magazine specialist with its K+E inks. Flint has also announced price increases of up to 20% owing to the escalating cost of raw materials in July

• Sun Chemical extended its presence in the sheetfed offset market with the launch of Sun Chemical Diamond in October, a range of four-colour process inks designed for commercial and packaging printing. It has also released SunCare Advantage, a range of UV-curing inks for sheetfed offset printing

• Ink firm ICE merged with the UK sales operation of Belgian UV ink specialist Arets Graphics in July. The deal created a consumables group with sales of around £6m

• Heidelberg launched its new global consumables brand Saphira, which includes a range of process inks with high colour intensity giving more mileage on press, as well as improving rub resistance