Types and Characteristics of Eco-Friendly Inks and Specialty Inks in the Printing and Packaging Industry

In the printing and packaging industry, ink is an essential consumable in daily production. However, there are many types of printing inks. Do you really understand them?

Specialty inks fall under the category of anti-counterfeit inks and form the foundation of anti-counterfeit ink technology. They can be applied to packaging, advertising brochures, publications, and more. Major printing methods such as offset printing, gravure printing, flexography, and screen printing can all utilize pearlescent printing.

1. Vegetable-Based Inks

Ink consists of three main components: pigment, binder, and additives. Pigments provide color to the ink; binders are substances that evenly disperse the pigment, such as petroleum, water, soybeans, or other vegetable oils; and additives like wax and petroleum distillates help dilute the ink and improve its performance on printing presses.

Petroleum-based inks have been widely used for over fifty years due to their fast drying times and cost efficiency. However, the drying process of these inks can harm the environment. Petroleum-based inks not only rely on non-renewable resources but also release VOCs (volatile organic compounds) during drying, contributing to environmental pollution and global climate issues.

2. Conductive Silver Inks

Traditional applications such as membrane switches and PCBs continue to drive demand for silver inks. Additionally, a range of new applications is emerging, creating new revenue opportunities for silver ink manufacturers.

3. Nano Inks

As the role of heat-sensitive flexible substrates continues to expand, the ability to cure at low temperatures is becoming increasingly important. Nano inks offer high conductivity and can cure at low temperatures.

4. Epoxy Screen Printing Inks

Epoxy screen printing inks provide a uniform and glossy ink layer, with excellent pigment dispersion and fine particle size. They offer good screen passage and leveling properties, and after curing, they exhibit strong adhesion to polar substrates. The coating has high hardness, gloss, and excellent water resistance, weather resistance, and chemical resistance.

Usage Instructions:

1. Add an appropriate amount of thinner and mix thoroughly before use.

2. Use dedicated thinners for different types of inks.

3. Conduct a test print to confirm quality before mass production.

4. Clean the surface of the substrate to remove oil and impurities to promote adhesion.

5. Static electricity on the screen or substrate surface can cause pinholes in the printed ink.

6. High environmental humidity can affect printing results.

7. Allow the coating to fully cure before stacking or shipping. Seal the container tightly after use.

Safety Rules:

Inks and thinners must be stored and used away from open flames. Ensure good ventilation in the workspace. Avoid direct skin contact. In case of contact with the mouth, nose, eyes, or ears, rinse thoroughly with water or seek medical attention. Those with allergies should apply a protective skin cream or wear impermeable gloves before use.

5. Thermosetting Inks

Thermosetting inks, also known as plastisol inks, plastic inks, or resin inks, are primarily composed of plasticizers and resins, along with additives and colorants. Since they require heat to cure, they do not clog screens during printing and allow for wet-on-wet continuous printing, significantly improving production efficiency.

Thermosetting inks represent a new generation of textile printing inks. Due to their numerous advantages, they have largely replaced traditional printing materials abroad. Except for specific requests from printing factories to use glue or water-based inks, most printing manufacturers have come to understand and extensively use thermosetting inks for high-precision products.