Is water-based ink waterproof?
Date: Aug 15 2024 From: Star Color
Water based ink occupies an important position in the printing industry due to its environmentally friendly characteristics. It not only significantly reduces the emissions of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) and reduces environmental pollution, but also, due to technological improvements in recent years, the printing effect is increasingly comparable to oil-based inks. However, there are still doubts about the waterproof performance of water-based inks. Let's analyze them below.
Before discussing whether water-based ink is waterproof, we first need to clarify the specific meaning of "waterproof" in the application of water-based ink. The waterproofing we refer to here usually refers to the ability of ink printed materials to effectively resist moisture infiltration, ensuring bright colors that do not fade or fade. This performance is particularly important for applications such as food packaging, pharmaceutical packaging, and outdoor advertising that require exposure to humid environments.
In order to accurately evaluate the waterproof performance of water-based inks, various testing methods can be used. Among them, the immersion method is the most intuitive one, which involves completely or partially immersing the printed matter in water and observing whether the ink falls off, changes color, or penetrates after a certain period of time. The water spray test simulates the scenario of rainwater erosion and evaluates the performance of ink in dynamic water environments. In addition, humidity cycling tests simulate environmental changes under different humidity conditions to examine the long-term waterproof stability of ink.
Test performance of Zhongzhixing water-based ink
This time we chose to use PE plastic film printed with Zhongzhixing water-based ink for testing. After soaking it in water for 24 hours, we will see if there are any problems such as peeling or color fading,
After actual testing, we found that there were no color fading or peeling issues with the printed materials. This fully demonstrates the waterproof performance of water-based ink.
Of course, this does not mean that all water-based inks can be waterproof. Whether water-based inks have good waterproof performance is closely related to their raw material formula and production process. Each ink should be tested specifically.
Although water-based inks face certain challenges in terms of waterproof performance, their waterproof ability has been significantly improved through formula optimization, technological innovation, and other means. In practical applications, water-based inks not only meet the market's demand for environmentally friendly printing products, but also demonstrate good waterproof effects, providing reliable solutions for packaging printing, outdoor advertising, and special fields. With the continuous advancement of technology and the sustained growth of market demand, we believe that the waterproof performance of water-based inks will be further improved, bringing better printing experiences to more fields.
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