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DIGITAL INKS

DIGITAL INKS. Jerry Fitch. Sensient Imaging Technologies. History. Conventional Printing Methods Have Been with us for 100’s of Years Innovation Has Occurred With Relatively Long Implementation Cycle Technology - Efficiency / Reliability/ Print Quality Improvements

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DIGITAL INKS

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  1. DIGITAL INKS Jerry Fitch Sensient Imaging Technologies

  2. History • Conventional Printing Methods Have Been with us for 100’s of Years • Innovation Has Occurred With Relatively Long Implementation Cycle • Technology - Efficiency/ Reliability/ Print Quality Improvements • Cost of Equipment Retrofit or Replacement • Customer Needs • Changing Health and Safety Regulations

  3. History • Wide-Format Inkjet Has Been With Us For Barely 30 Years. • First Commercial Wide-Format Inkjet Printer Early 1990’s by Encad • Incredible 5-6 Sq/Ft per Hr, 300 dpi • Rapid Innovation • Hardware – Printheads and Transports • Hardware – Other Technologies Such As Electrophotography • Hardware – Finishing Equipment • Software – RIPs and Color Management • Substrates – Coatings and Base Materials • Finishing – Primers, Laminates, Topcoats • Inks – Aqueous, Toners, Oil, Solvent, UV, eBeam    Aqueous

  4. Digital print in our lives • You Are Exposed To Digital Print Every Day • Grand-Format Photography/ Fine Art • Billboards and Bus Signage • Banners and Flags • Fashion, Sports Uniforms and Fanwear • In-Store Displays/ Signage • Home Décor – Pillows, Curtains, Upholstery, Wallpaper • Ceramics • Ad Specialties and Premiums • Eggs, Cigarette Packaging • Labels, Tags • Craft Beverages • Non-wovens, Textiles, Metals, Ceramics, Glass, Edibles, Bioprinting, Printed Electronics, Etc. • And Of Course, Packaging

  5. considerations with digital ink • One Ink, No Opportunity To Change/Modify Based On Substrate • Varying Chemistries And Fibers(1) Used To Manufacture Face Sheet • Virgin, Craft, Bleached, Clay/Resin Coated Each Interact With Ink Differently • Environmental/ Regulatory • EPA, OSHA • Food, Pharma, Cosmetics (FDA, Brand Imposed Restrictions) • (1) Beginning to see the use of renewable non wood fiber sources, such as wheat straw.

  6. considerations with digital ink • Regulation Of Inks For Food, Pharma, Cosmetics • FDA Regulations Are Tough To Negotiate • EU Is In Flux, But Most Follow Swiss Ordinance • Nestle Follows Swiss Ordinance, But With Added Restrictions • Primary Package - Indirect Food Contact Rules Apply • No Migration Of Packaging Components And Chemistry • Secondary Packaging – No Regulation, Though Some Brands Try To Control For Shelf/ Aisle Ready Displays

  7. considerations with digital ink • Cost In Use • Inkjet Is More Expensive Than Conventional Printing • Inkjet Is Less Expensive Than Running Analog Short Runs • Inkjet Is Not Intended To Replace Analog For High Volume Print Runs • Inkjet Is A New Capability That Allows More Cost Effective And Efficient Printing Of Shorter Runs

  8. Digital Ink for Corrugated • Focus On 4 Color Printing For Regulated Markets • Non-Contact Printing Method - Inkjet • Solvent Ink • UV Inks • Electron Beam Inks • Aqueous Inks • Uses For Corrugated, Benefits, Challenges

  9. Digital Ink for Corrugated • Solvent Inks • Not Relevant To 4 Color Process Printing • Environmental and Regulatory Issues • No Current Hardware Development • Used Extensively For Coding And Marking • Fast Drying • There Are FDA Compliant Options For Primary Packaging

  10. Digital Ink for Corrugated • UV Inks • Came To Market At Drupa 2000, Introduced By Inca • Roughly 30 Years After It was First Available for Analog Printing • Most Widely Used Grand-Format/ Industrial Inkjet Inks For Decoration Today • Has Been Used For Years For Very Low Volume – Prototyping And POP • Fastest/ Easiest Way For Digital Printer OEMs To Enter Packaging With High Speed Options • Generally A Good Ink, But Can be Challenging • Ink That Is Absorbed Into The Substrate Will Not Cure • Can Be Corrected With A Primer • Mottling On Some Paper Surfaces • Ink Film Thickness of 14-15 Micron VS Analog Of 4 Microns • Slow Down To Insure Good Through Cure • Wrong Tactile Effect For Some Applications – Can Feel A Bit Like Braille • Migration Concerns – Ink is Thin In Viscosity And Component Molecule Size Is Small • EU Is Strengthening EHS Warnings, Primarily Photoinitiators, But Other Chemistry Is Being Evaluated

  11. Digital Ink for Corrugated • Electron Beam • Options For Analog Printing Around 1980 • Development For Digital Printing Began In Earnest 6-7 Years Ago • - Few Commercially Available Solutions • Benefits • eBeamFixes A Lot Of The Shortcomings Of UV • Eliminates Photoinitiators – Odor And Some Health Risks • Better/ Faster Through Cure – Ink Absorbed Into The Substrate Can Be Cured • Not Affected By Ink Film Thickness • Challenges • Cost Of Entry (Equipment) Is High • Requires A Higher Level Of Operator Training / Attention To Detail • Ink Film Thickness Of 14-15 Micron VS Analog Of 4 Microns • Wrong Tactile Effect For Some Applications – Can Feel A Bit Like Braille • Migration Concerns – Ink Is Thin In Viscosity And Component Molecule Size Is Small

  12. Digital Ink for Corrugated • Aqueous Inks • Water-Based Inks Have Been With Us From The Beginning Of Wide Format Inkjet • Currently The Hot Topic With Users, OEMs, Hardware Integrators • Replace Electrophotography – Reduce Cost In Use • Replace UV – Eliminate EHS And Regulatory Concerns • Not As Complicated As Some Other Ink Solutions • Benefits • Good Ink Film Thickness – 3-4 Microns • Ink Is Flexible, Stretches with Substrate • Reduce/ Eliminate EHS And Regulatory Concerns • Challenges • Printer Confirguration • Surface Prep and Drying • Typically Based On Traditional Aqueous Chemistry

  13. Digital Ink for Corrugated • So, Does The Perfect Digital Ink Exist? • UV and eBeam Continue To Develop • Chemistry Continues To Improve • A Number Of Hardware Solutions Currently Available • Nagging Concerns With Future Regulatory, EHS And Brand RSL • Aqueous • Best Cost In Use Model Of Available Options • Good Performance Charactoristics – Folding, stretching, adhesion • Reduce/ Eliminate EHS And Regulatory Concerns

  14. Digital Ink for Corrugated • So, Does The Perfect Digital Ink Exist? • UV and eBeam Continue To Develop • Chemistry Continues To Improve • A Number Of Hardware Solutions Currently Available • Nagging Concerns With Future Regulatory, EHS And Brand RSL • Aqueous • Best Cost In Use Model Of Available Options • Good Performance Charactoristics – Folding, stretching, adhesion • Reduce/ Eliminate EHS And Regulatory Concerns • Sensient SX WaterBased Ink • Revolutionary Formulation Developed From the Pigment Dispersion Up • Excellent Adhesion to a Wide Variety Of Substrates • Ink Sets On Surface And Eliminates Gloss/Color Variations With Difficult Substrates • Swiss Ordinance And Nestle Compliant

  15. Thank You Jerry Fitch Sensient Imaging Technologies Jerry.Fitch@Sensient.com +1 (224) 434-9067 (m)

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