Detailed explanation of gravure water-based ink
Date: Aug 05 2024 From: Star Color
1、 What is gravure printingGravure printing is a traditional and important printing method, which is widely used not only for printing fine publications such as magazines and product catalogs, but also for printing packaging, banknotes, stamps, and other materials. Gravure printing has the characteristics of high printing quality, bright colors, and strong printing resistance, and occupies a considerable share in the printing market.
The principle is to coat the entire surface of the printing plate with ink, and then remove the ink from the blank part through a specially designed ink scraping mechanism, so that the ink is only retained in the mesh holes of the graphic and text parts. Under significant pressure, these inks are transferred to the surface of the substrate, resulting in the production of printed materials.
As an efficient printing method, gravure printing has the advantages of fast printing speed, large printing volume, and bright colors, and has therefore been widely used in the printing industry. Against the backdrop of increasing competition in the global market and stricter environmental policies, the gravure printing machine industry is facing enormous market pressure, but at the same time, it has also ushered in new development opportunities. Many manufacturers who originally used solvent based inks have switched to using water-based inks, which has also promoted the continuous improvement of gravure printing technology.
With the increasing awareness of environmental protection and the increasingly strict environmental regulations, the application of traditional solvent based inks in gravure printing has been increasingly restricted. As an environmentally friendly ink, gravure water-based ink has gradually become an emerging choice in gravure printing due to its non-toxic, odorless, and low VOC emissions characteristics.
2、 Basic concepts of gravure water-based inkGravure water-based ink is an ink used for gravure printing that uses water as the main solvent or dispersion medium. The main components of gravure water-based ink include nano organic pigments, water-borne acrylic lotion and related additives, which together give it unique printing performance and environmental protection characteristics.
Compared with traditional solvent based gravure ink, gravure water-based ink has the following characteristics:
Environmental friendliness:
Traditional solvent based gravure ink: This type of ink contains a large amount of organic solvents (such as toluene, xylene, etc.), which will evaporate into the air during the printing process, forming volatile organic compounds (VOCs), causing serious pollution to the atmospheric environment and potentially endangering human health, such as stimulating the respiratory tract and affecting the nervous system.
Gravure water-based ink: Due to its main solvent being water and almost no VOCs, it can significantly reduce environmental pollution during use and meet modern environmental requirements. In addition, water-based ink also has the advantages of being non-toxic, odorless, non flammable, and non explosive, further enhancing its environmental performance.
Security:
Traditional solvent based gravure ink: Due to its high content of organic solvents, these solvents may pose a risk to human health during production and use, such as entering the body through skin contact, inhalation, and other routes, affecting health.
Gravure water-based ink: Due to its main components being water and environmentally friendly additives, it is relatively safe for human health and reduces occupational health risks during use.
Cost:
Traditional solvent based gravure ink: Although solvent based ink may have relatively low initial purchase costs, it is not economical in terms of long-term operating costs due to its high solvent evaporation, which requires a large amount of energy for drying and emits a large amount of exhaust gas. In addition, solvent based inks may also cause corrosion to printing equipment and the environment, increasing maintenance costs.
Gravure water-based ink: Although the initial purchase cost may be slightly higher, its advantages such as fast drying speed, low energy consumption, and good environmental performance can reduce overall costs in the long run. In addition, water-based ink has less corrosiveness to printing equipment, which is beneficial for extending the service life of the equipment
3、 Composition of gravure water-based inkResin systemThe resin system is the core component of gravure water-based ink, which determines key properties such as film-forming ability, adhesion, and glossiness of the ink. Common water-based resins include acrylic resin, polyurethane resin, etc. These resins have good water solubility and dispersibility, and can tightly bind with pigment particles to form a stable ink system. Acrylic resin is widely used due to its excellent film-forming and weather resistance, while polyurethane resin is suitable for specific occasions due to its good wear resistance and flexibility.
PigmentPigments are the key components responsible for coloring in gravure water-based inks. They are insoluble in water, but can be evenly dispersed in ink and impart the desired color to printed materials. The selection of pigments should consider their color vividness, coverage, weather resistance, and compatibility with resin systems. Dyes are usually used to adjust the hue and brightness of ink, but compared to pigments, their coverage and weather resistance are weaker. In gravure water-based ink, the combination of pigments and dyes can achieve rich color effects and good printing performance.
auxiliaryAdditives play a crucial role in gravure water-based inks. They include various types such as emulsifiers, stabilizers, leveling agents, defoamers, etc. Each additive has its specific function and mechanism of action. Emulsifiers are used to reduce the surface tension of water, allowing resin and pigment particles to be evenly dispersed in water; Stabilizers are used to improve the stability of ink and prevent pigment particles from settling or layering; Leveling agents are used to improve the leveling properties of ink, making the surface of printed materials smoother; Defoamers are used to eliminate bubbles generated during ink mixing and printing processes. The addition ratio of these additives needs to be adjusted according to the specific formula and usage conditions of the ink to ensure that the ink has the best printing performance.
waterWater is the main solvent for gravure water-based ink, occupying the majority of the volume in the ink. Due to the advantages of non-toxic, odorless, non flammable and non explosive properties of water, water-based ink performs well in terms of environmental protection and safety. However, the purity of water also has a certain impact on the performance of ink. Water with high impurities may affect the dispersibility and stability of ink, and even lead to quality problems in printed materials. Therefore, when preparing gravure water-based ink, high-purity water such as deionized water or distilled water needs to be used.
4、 Technical advantages of gravure water-based inkGravure water-based ink has significant technological advantages in the printing field, mainly reflected in three aspects: environmental friendliness, printing quality, and cost-effectiveness.
Environmental friendliness
- Low VOC emissions: gravure water-based ink uses water as the main solvent, and compared to traditional solvent based ink, its volatile organic compound (VOC) emissions are significantly reduced. This helps to reduce air pollution, improve air quality, and meet modern environmental requirements.
- Non toxic and odorless: Water based ink produces almost no toxic or harmful substances during production and use, and is harmless to human health. At the same time, its odorless characteristics also improve the working environment of the printing workshop and enhance the comfort of the staff.
- Biodegradable: Most of the components in water-based ink are biodegradable, which helps reduce environmental pollution caused by waste and achieve resource recycling.
Printing quality
- Color Brightness: gravure water-based ink uses nanoscale pigments and advanced dispersion technology to evenly distribute pigment particles in the ink, resulting in full and vivid colors. At the same time, water-based ink has good reflection and refraction properties for light, which can present more realistic color effects.
- Stereoscopic effect: gravure printing itself has the characteristics of thick ink film and strong stereoscopic effect. And water-based ink can fully fill every detail in the intaglio pattern during the printing process, making the printed pattern more three-dimensional and vivid.
- Print resistance: Water based ink has high print resistance and can maintain stable printing quality during long-term continuous printing processes. This helps to reduce the printing waste rate caused by unstable ink performance and improve production efficiency.
Cost effectiveness
- Raw material cost: Although the initial purchase cost of water-based ink may be slightly higher than that of traditional solvent based ink, considering its environmental friendliness and high-performance characteristics, its overall cost is not higher or even lower than that of solvent based ink. In addition, water-based ink consumes relatively less ink, which also helps to reduce raw material costs.
- Energy consumption: Due to the relatively fast drying speed of water-based ink, it can reduce energy consumption. At the same time, the printing process of water-based ink is more stable, reducing energy waste caused by downtime adjustments.
- Waste disposal: The cost of disposing of water-based ink waste is relatively low. Due to the fact that most of its components are biodegradable or recyclable, it reduces the pollution and disposal costs of waste to the environment. In addition, some advanced printing companies further reduce costs by recycling and reusing waste from water-based inks.
5、 Application examples of gravure water-based inkAs an environmentally friendly and high-performance printing ink, gravure water-based ink has been widely used in multiple fields. The following are application examples of gravure water-based ink in different fields:
Food packaging:
Water based ink is widely used in the field of food packaging because it can come into direct contact with food without producing harmful substances. For example, in the printing of plastic films such as BOPP, PET, etc., water-based ink is used to print various food packaging bags, beverage bottle labels, etc. These packaging products not only have bright colors and exquisite patterns, but also meet food safety standards, which can protect the quality of food and the health of consumers.
Food packaging:
Drug packaging also has extremely high requirements for the environmental friendliness and safety of ink. The application of water-based ink in the field of pharmaceutical packaging, such as drug packaging boxes, instructions and other printed materials, has also demonstrated excellent performance. It not only meets the hygiene standards of drug packaging, but also enhances the overall quality of drug packaging.
Label printing:
Water based ink has broad application prospects in the field of label printing. Whether it's product labels, logistics labels, or other types of labels, water-based ink can provide excellent printing effects. Its environmental characteristics and good adhesion make label printing more durable and aesthetically pleasing.
Advertising poster:
Although traditional advertising posters may use solvent based inks for printing, with the increasing awareness of environmental protection and technological progress, the application of water-based inks in advertising poster printing is gradually increasing. Its bright colors and stable printing quality can meet the high visual requirements of advertising posters.
Decorative materials:
Water based ink also has certain application potential in the field of decorative materials. For example, in the printing of decorative materials such as wallpaper and floor leather, water-based ink can provide rich color and pattern choices while meeting environmental requirements. With the increasing attention to the health of home environments, the application prospects of water-based inks in the field of decorative materials will be even broader.
6、 The future development trend of gravure water-based inkIn terms of resin systems, more new environmentally friendly resins will be developed in the future to improve the adhesion, water resistance, weather resistance, and other properties of water-based inks. These new resins may achieve performance optimization through molecular design, cross-linking modification, and other methods.
In terms of pigment technology, the application of high-performance pigments such as nano pigments will further enhance the color vividness, saturation, and wear resistance of water-based inks. At the same time, the use of environmentally friendly pigments will also become a trend to reduce harm to the environment and human health.
With the continuous advancement of production technology, the production process of water-based ink will be optimized and improved. For example, measures such as using more environmentally friendly raw materials, improving production efficiency, and reducing energy consumption will make the production of water-based ink greener and more efficient.
Governments of various countries will continue to strengthen the formulation and implementation of environmental regulations, and put forward higher requirements for the environmental performance of chemical products such as ink. This will promote more policy support for the research and application of environmentally friendly inks such as gravure water-based inks.
Green printing, as an environmentally friendly and low-carbon printing method, will receive more attention and promotion from governments and enterprises. As one of the important materials for green printing, the market demand for gravure water-based ink will continue to grow with the popularization of green printing.
7、 ConclusionAs an important environmentally friendly material in the printing industry, gravure water-based ink exhibits unique characteristics and significant advantages, but also faces certain challenges. Its future development trend is full of potential and opportunities, and it plays an immeasurable important role in promoting the green and sustainable development of the printing industry.
The gravure water-based ink of Huizhou StarColor Technology Co., Ltd. is widely used in various printing fields, especially in food packaging, medical packaging, hygiene product packaging and other areas, with significant advantages. For example, it can be used for printing products such as paper cups, paper plates, sanitary napkins, diapers, ice cream packaging, food grade cake paper, napkins, labels, paper bags, and corrugated cardboard boxes.
RU
EN
CN
