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UV Ink Knowledge and Applications

Release time:

2025-06-03 15:41

The concept of printing ink

1. Ink is a homogeneous mixture composed of colored substances (such as pigments and dyes), vehicle, fillers, additives, and other ingredients; it is capable of being printed and dries on the substrate; it is a colored, paste-like adhesive with a certain degree of fluidity.
2. Therefore, color (hue), body (rheological properties such as viscosity and flowability), and drying performance are the three most important properties of ink. These properties come in many varieties and exhibit diverse physical characteristics: some inks are very thick and highly viscous, while others are remarkably thin. Some inks use vegetable oils as binders, whereas others employ resins, solvents, or water as binders.
3. All of these are determined based on the object being printed—the substrate—, the printing method, the type of printing plate, and the drying method, among other factors.

Classification of Printing Inks Based on Drying Method

1. Oxidative Conjunctival Drying Ink
2. Volatile-drying ink
3. Penetrating-drying ink
4. Radiation-drying ink
5. Condensation-drying ink
6. Moisture-curing and drying ink
7. Settling and drying ink
8. Two-component reactive drying ink
9. Gel-forming and drying ink
10. Filtered and dried ink
11. Combining multiple methods for drying ink

Printing suitability of ink

1. The property of the substrate, printing ink, and other materials being compatible with and suitable for the printing process under given printing conditions is called printability.
2. The printability of ink refers to its ability to match printing conditions and be suitable for the printing process. Key properties include viscosity, tinting strength, thixotropy, and drying characteristics.

The viscosity of ink

1. The internal friction characteristics exhibited by ink during its flow are referred to as the ink’s viscosity. The physical quantity used to measure the ink’s viscosity is called the ink’s viscosity coefficient.
2. The viscosity of ink can be measured using a viscometer. Commonly used viscometers include the parallel-plate viscometer, the rotational viscometer, and the Brookfield viscometer, among others.
3. The faster the printing press runs, the greater the fluidity and the lower the viscosity required for the ink.
4. The viscosity of the ink can be adjusted using ink thinner or ink diluent.

Ink viscosity

1. As ink transfers from the ink fountain to the ink rollers, the printing plate, and finally to the surface of the substrate (through the rubber blanket), the ink film first splits and then transfers. The ability of the ink film to resist rupture during this dynamic process is referred to as the ink’s adhesiveness. The physical quantity used to measure ink adhesiveness is called the tack value of printing ink.
2. The tack value of ink can be measured using an ink adhesion tester.
3. During the printing process, if the ink’s adhesion does not match the substrate’s properties and the printing conditions, printing defects such as paper powdering, fiber shedding, poor ink overprinting, and contamination of the printing plate may occur.

Thixotropy of ink

1. At a certain temperature, after being stirred or subjected to mechanical external forces, the ink’s fluidity improves and its viscosity decreases. However, once left standing, its fluidity deteriorates again and its viscosity increases. This property is known as thixotropy of ink.
2. During the printing process, if the ink exhibits poor thixotropy, printing defects such as "inconsistent ink flow," uneven ink transfer, and severe enlargement of halftone dots may occur. To prevent these defects from happening, it is necessary to frequently stir the ink in the ink fountain using an ink scraper or to install an ink agitator in the ink fountain to periodically mix and aerate the ink.

UV offset ink

1. Offset Printing Diagram

2. Ink Performance

3. Recommended formulation for red ink

4. Recommended formulation for yellow ink

5. Recommended Mixing Ratio for Blue Ink

6. Recommended mixing ratio for black ink

Precautions:

The resin selection includes B-590H (main resin, recommended dosage: 40 to 50 points), B-560 (pigment wetting agent, recommended dosage: around 10 points), and B-151 and B-153 (for enhancing system flexibility, recommended dosage: around 7 points).

The UV monomer 3EO-TMPTA is used to adjust the ink viscosity; roughly speaking, one point of monomer can reduce the viscosity by one point.

UV screen-printing ink

1. UV wrinkle ink

We recommend B-538 as a wrinkle-resistant resin (with fast curing speed and excellent adhesion).

2. UV Snowflake Ink

Recommend resin B-371.
3. UV screen-printing ink

The primary components involved are electronic tags and screen-printed ink used on cosmetics, with black and white being the dominant colors. We recommend the following resin formulations: B-590 (excellent adhesion and relatively fast curing speed); B-509B (even better adhesion but slightly slower curing); and B-531 (best adhesion, though slightly poorer compatibility). Typically, these inks are required to be alcohol-resistant. Therefore, it’s necessary to incorporate high-functional polyurethanes to increase cross-linking density; we recommend B-619W and B-919B.
4. UV coating for paper

It is recommended to use B-522, B-520, B-113, B-100, and B-21C.
5. UV gloss varnish for cigarette packs

Recommend B-113, B-151, B-153, B-163, and B-21.

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