There is no doubt that flexographic printing is becoming a mainstream printing method. At the same time, flexographic printing is increasingly affecting the ink market. Now and in the future, the quality of ink is a matter of greatest concern to ink and printing equipment manufacturers. As a result, more and more ink manufacturers are developing better-quality inks and seeking to establish a business-competitive approach, creating more opportunities for flexographic printing.
Just look at the various technologies used by flexographic printers and you will understand that flexographic printing has a good prospect. UV (ultraviolet) curing, EB (electron beam) curing, and water-based ink technology are new faces in other printing methods. However, in flexo printing, such inks have been widely used. According to the report of “Ink World†of the United States, the ink market share of flexographic printing in 1995 was US$736 million. Today is approaching $1 billion, and this news is absolutely good news for flexographic ink producers.
In the past few years, flexographic printing has been rapidly developed globally. Sustained growth includes the development of flexographic printing itself, and this growth has also come from the market share of flexographic printing in the grab gravure printing market and traditional offset printing. In order to gain greater market share, flexographic printing will, as always, enhance the ability of four primary colors to print, so that each print fully reflects the technical progress of flexographic printing. At the same time, other printing methods will continue to develop, making the competition of several printing methods more fierce. Printing customers will be the biggest winners in the outcome of competition.
The demand for a large amount of flexo ink will also be the driving force for the continuous development of printing equipment. We have noticed that, especially in the narrow web 4-color rotary press, an obvious development is the use of finer textured ink rollers, which can now reach 1,000 lines/square inch, so ink manufacturers must focus on such technological advances. Improve the performance of the ink, so that the ink is more stable and reliable from the ink roller transferred to the printing plate, substrate, which is the future direction of improvement and development of ink production. Due to the development of digital media, flexo printing can print higher quality images that are almost comparable to gravure printing. As a result, more and more printers have turned from gravure to flexo. The speed of development of flexographic printing depends on the quality of the print. If the print quality of flexographic printing can achieve offset printing quality, the printing market's demand for flexo printing will soar.
The expanding market package remains the greatest hope for flexo printing. In the packaging printing market, there is a growing demand for stand-up pouch packaging, fresh produce packaging, and pharmaceutical packaging.
In the corrugated packaging market, the demand for images is getting higher and higher.
In the folding cartons market, there is also an opportunity for growth in flexo inks. With the increasing demand for cardboard boxes, many traditional offset printers have also turned to flexo printing.
In the narrow web rotary label printing and packaging market, reasonable price and high quality image printing are becoming short lived choices.
Food contact packaging is another potential market for flexo printing. With the improvement of the quality of flexo printing images, especially the faster the printing speed, the food contact packaging company found that flexo printing is a good complement to offset printing. If the ingredients of the flexo ink are properly combined and the ink is dried properly after printing, the effect on the taste and odor of the food is less likely than with offset printing.
Water-based inks For ink manufacturers, water-based inks in the flexo market are a lucrative market share and a potential market worth developing.
In the end-consumer market, water-based inks are mainly used in the printing of paper, paper boxes, corrugated paper, household paper, and preprinting applications.
In cardboard printing, flexo-based inks are increasingly used. In addition, the further development of water-based technologies has improved the solubility of water-based inks. The study of new surfactants and the use of cleaner solvents have improved the printing effect of ink overprinting.
Narrow web rotary printers have been using water-based inks for a long time. Based on the consideration of environmental protection and the health of printing workers, wide web rotary printers have also developed a strong interest in water-based inks. But in the foreseeable future, the web rotary printing market still has the demand for solvent-based inks. At least in our opinion, water-based inks are their ultimate choice for printers who invest a large sum of money in order to comply with the VOC regulations.
From the perspective of a wide web rotary printing press, a clear trend in wide web rotary film printing is to switch to water-based ink printing. Today's water-based inks can be applied to some substrates, mainly polyester films and laminated films.
Ink manufacturers have turned environmental issues as a driving factor in the production of water-based inks.
Water-based inks have obvious advantages in terms of compliance with VOC emissions, environmental safety, health and safety of printing workers, and the reduction of storage and transportation costs as non-combustibles. With the improvement of resin and additive technology, the functional characteristics of water-based ink formulations will pose a powerful challenge for solvent-based inks and energy-curable inks. The future trend is that thin film printing will increasingly use water-based ink flexo printing instead of solvent-based ink flexo printing. People expect the appearance of better quality water-based thin film printing inks.
Although the biggest feature of water-based inks has brought great benefits to the environment, the success of water-based inks does not mean that solvent-based inks will exit the flexo ink market.
The biggest advantage of water-based inks is that VOC volatiles are minimal, but the head of Sun Chemical's R&D team believes that there is no reduction in the use of solvent-based inks for this reason.
According to some people's point of view, many printers still use solvent-based inks for printing, but the use of a certain type of technology makes volatile emissions within the scope of the environmental regulations. The print quality of solvent-based inks remains attractive.
Whether solvent or water based inks are used depends on the cost. For some printing companies, the use of water-based inks for environmental reasons increases production costs. Which ink is used in the end depends mainly on the local environmental regulations on VOC emissions. For some printing companies that do not consider handling volatiles, the use of solvent-based inks is a little cheaper.
UV/EB curing ink UV (ultraviolet) and EB (electron beam) curing technology continue to be the direction of the ink industry. Flexographic printing continues to favor radiation curable inks.
Of course, UV/EB technology is also the most frequently asked question for flexo packers. Narrow web rotary label printers have successfully applied cured inks and gained a competitive position in the printing market. For the rest of the printing market, printers are looking for radiation-curable inks.
Needless to say, from a print quality point of view, the flexo printing with UV ink is the best printing method among all the flexo printing technologies. It is superior to the flexo printing of solvent inks and water-based inks.
Like other printing methods, UV/EB flexo inks also face some obstacles. The UV/EB technology in the packaging and printing market faces several challenges. The biggest obstacle is that UV/EB technology cannot adapt to traditional printing technologies. For example, the use of a water-based ink instead of a solvent-based ink is relatively easy, since it can be converted from a water-based ink to a solvent-based ink without significant investment or many changes to the printer. In contrast, prior to the adoption of UV/EB technology, printing companies must install curing equipment. Although current curing equipment prices are declining, such equipment is a large investment.
In addition, the cost issue is also a major cause of further development of radiation-curing inks/paints. Raw materials and equipment are still very expensive. According to experts' estimation, if the cost of UV/EB ink is close to the cost of other types of ink, the development speed of UV/EB ink will be 3 to 4 times the average development speed of other inks.
Although the development of UV/EB coatings in the coating market is very rapid, the development speed of UV/EB inks is still relatively slow, especially in wide web rotary printing applications. There are several reasons for the slow development of UV/EB, including the cost of the equipment and the cost of the ink itself. For some food packaging applications, the smell of UV/EB inks is still a headache. In some large printing markets, UV/EB inks are unlikely to replace water-based inks and solvent-based inks. Flexographic ink share distribution:
Ink type Water-based ink Solvent-based ink Radiation curing ink Gross weight (million pounds) 360 195 1
Annual growth rate 5% 3% 15%
The future of flexo printing is obvious. The future of flexo printing is bright. This is good news for ink manufacturers. As more and more printers feel the benefits of flexo printing and flexographic technology itself, the market for flexo inks will easily exceed the one billion US dollar mark. Experts pointed out that there are two key trends that continue to promote the development of flexo printing. 1) More and more printing companies offer 10-color printing, which means that after printing by color separation processing, high-quality images can be provided. 2) The 6-color printing method has become more and more popular, allowing the printing to obtain a wider color reproduction of the color gamut. In addition, the advent of hybrid (compound) presses has brought some printers into the flexo field. Composite printing is used in narrow-web web-fed label printing. Several printing and processing methods are used in the machine. May include water-based ink flexo printing, UV flexo printing, rotary screen printing, text printing, offset printing, gravure printing, hot laminating, cold coating, and bronzing. More and more packaging processors are using the production methods of UV flexo printing, UV rotary screen printing, and hot laminating. Printers now using other printing methods may also incorporate flexo technology into existing printing methods. There are indications that sheet-fed offset printers are also sticking to flexo printing. Regardless of how flexible printing continues to develop, costs will remain a key factor in the overwhelming development. The continuous pressure from printing customers has caused printers and ink manufacturers to work hard to reduce the cost of ink. Therefore, the future will continue to put forward higher requirements for printing methods and ink production management.
According to the survey of the US "Ink World", it is noted that printing companies and ink manufacturers will continue to merge; in the next few years, more printing companies will turn to flexo printing. As the public’s increasing environmental protection demands and the pursuit of environmental protection work conditions, those non-traditional flexographic ink manufacturers will join the ranks of flexo ink manufacturers. The flexo ink production market is profitable. In the future, we will see a lot of suppliers of flexo ink production.
Just look at the various technologies used by flexographic printers and you will understand that flexographic printing has a good prospect. UV (ultraviolet) curing, EB (electron beam) curing, and water-based ink technology are new faces in other printing methods. However, in flexo printing, such inks have been widely used. According to the report of “Ink World†of the United States, the ink market share of flexographic printing in 1995 was US$736 million. Today is approaching $1 billion, and this news is absolutely good news for flexographic ink producers.
In the past few years, flexographic printing has been rapidly developed globally. Sustained growth includes the development of flexographic printing itself, and this growth has also come from the market share of flexographic printing in the grab gravure printing market and traditional offset printing. In order to gain greater market share, flexographic printing will, as always, enhance the ability of four primary colors to print, so that each print fully reflects the technical progress of flexographic printing. At the same time, other printing methods will continue to develop, making the competition of several printing methods more fierce. Printing customers will be the biggest winners in the outcome of competition.
The demand for a large amount of flexo ink will also be the driving force for the continuous development of printing equipment. We have noticed that, especially in the narrow web 4-color rotary press, an obvious development is the use of finer textured ink rollers, which can now reach 1,000 lines/square inch, so ink manufacturers must focus on such technological advances. Improve the performance of the ink, so that the ink is more stable and reliable from the ink roller transferred to the printing plate, substrate, which is the future direction of improvement and development of ink production. Due to the development of digital media, flexo printing can print higher quality images that are almost comparable to gravure printing. As a result, more and more printers have turned from gravure to flexo. The speed of development of flexographic printing depends on the quality of the print. If the print quality of flexographic printing can achieve offset printing quality, the printing market's demand for flexo printing will soar.
The expanding market package remains the greatest hope for flexo printing. In the packaging printing market, there is a growing demand for stand-up pouch packaging, fresh produce packaging, and pharmaceutical packaging.
In the corrugated packaging market, the demand for images is getting higher and higher.
In the folding cartons market, there is also an opportunity for growth in flexo inks. With the increasing demand for cardboard boxes, many traditional offset printers have also turned to flexo printing.
In the narrow web rotary label printing and packaging market, reasonable price and high quality image printing are becoming short lived choices.
Food contact packaging is another potential market for flexo printing. With the improvement of the quality of flexo printing images, especially the faster the printing speed, the food contact packaging company found that flexo printing is a good complement to offset printing. If the ingredients of the flexo ink are properly combined and the ink is dried properly after printing, the effect on the taste and odor of the food is less likely than with offset printing.
Water-based inks For ink manufacturers, water-based inks in the flexo market are a lucrative market share and a potential market worth developing.
In the end-consumer market, water-based inks are mainly used in the printing of paper, paper boxes, corrugated paper, household paper, and preprinting applications.
In cardboard printing, flexo-based inks are increasingly used. In addition, the further development of water-based technologies has improved the solubility of water-based inks. The study of new surfactants and the use of cleaner solvents have improved the printing effect of ink overprinting.
Narrow web rotary printers have been using water-based inks for a long time. Based on the consideration of environmental protection and the health of printing workers, wide web rotary printers have also developed a strong interest in water-based inks. But in the foreseeable future, the web rotary printing market still has the demand for solvent-based inks. At least in our opinion, water-based inks are their ultimate choice for printers who invest a large sum of money in order to comply with the VOC regulations.
From the perspective of a wide web rotary printing press, a clear trend in wide web rotary film printing is to switch to water-based ink printing. Today's water-based inks can be applied to some substrates, mainly polyester films and laminated films.
Ink manufacturers have turned environmental issues as a driving factor in the production of water-based inks.
Water-based inks have obvious advantages in terms of compliance with VOC emissions, environmental safety, health and safety of printing workers, and the reduction of storage and transportation costs as non-combustibles. With the improvement of resin and additive technology, the functional characteristics of water-based ink formulations will pose a powerful challenge for solvent-based inks and energy-curable inks. The future trend is that thin film printing will increasingly use water-based ink flexo printing instead of solvent-based ink flexo printing. People expect the appearance of better quality water-based thin film printing inks.
Although the biggest feature of water-based inks has brought great benefits to the environment, the success of water-based inks does not mean that solvent-based inks will exit the flexo ink market.
The biggest advantage of water-based inks is that VOC volatiles are minimal, but the head of Sun Chemical's R&D team believes that there is no reduction in the use of solvent-based inks for this reason.
According to some people's point of view, many printers still use solvent-based inks for printing, but the use of a certain type of technology makes volatile emissions within the scope of the environmental regulations. The print quality of solvent-based inks remains attractive.
Whether solvent or water based inks are used depends on the cost. For some printing companies, the use of water-based inks for environmental reasons increases production costs. Which ink is used in the end depends mainly on the local environmental regulations on VOC emissions. For some printing companies that do not consider handling volatiles, the use of solvent-based inks is a little cheaper.
UV/EB curing ink UV (ultraviolet) and EB (electron beam) curing technology continue to be the direction of the ink industry. Flexographic printing continues to favor radiation curable inks.
Of course, UV/EB technology is also the most frequently asked question for flexo packers. Narrow web rotary label printers have successfully applied cured inks and gained a competitive position in the printing market. For the rest of the printing market, printers are looking for radiation-curable inks.
Needless to say, from a print quality point of view, the flexo printing with UV ink is the best printing method among all the flexo printing technologies. It is superior to the flexo printing of solvent inks and water-based inks.
Like other printing methods, UV/EB flexo inks also face some obstacles. The UV/EB technology in the packaging and printing market faces several challenges. The biggest obstacle is that UV/EB technology cannot adapt to traditional printing technologies. For example, the use of a water-based ink instead of a solvent-based ink is relatively easy, since it can be converted from a water-based ink to a solvent-based ink without significant investment or many changes to the printer. In contrast, prior to the adoption of UV/EB technology, printing companies must install curing equipment. Although current curing equipment prices are declining, such equipment is a large investment.
In addition, the cost issue is also a major cause of further development of radiation-curing inks/paints. Raw materials and equipment are still very expensive. According to experts' estimation, if the cost of UV/EB ink is close to the cost of other types of ink, the development speed of UV/EB ink will be 3 to 4 times the average development speed of other inks.
Although the development of UV/EB coatings in the coating market is very rapid, the development speed of UV/EB inks is still relatively slow, especially in wide web rotary printing applications. There are several reasons for the slow development of UV/EB, including the cost of the equipment and the cost of the ink itself. For some food packaging applications, the smell of UV/EB inks is still a headache. In some large printing markets, UV/EB inks are unlikely to replace water-based inks and solvent-based inks. Flexographic ink share distribution:
Ink type Water-based ink Solvent-based ink Radiation curing ink Gross weight (million pounds) 360 195 1
Annual growth rate 5% 3% 15%
The future of flexo printing is obvious. The future of flexo printing is bright. This is good news for ink manufacturers. As more and more printers feel the benefits of flexo printing and flexographic technology itself, the market for flexo inks will easily exceed the one billion US dollar mark. Experts pointed out that there are two key trends that continue to promote the development of flexo printing. 1) More and more printing companies offer 10-color printing, which means that after printing by color separation processing, high-quality images can be provided. 2) The 6-color printing method has become more and more popular, allowing the printing to obtain a wider color reproduction of the color gamut. In addition, the advent of hybrid (compound) presses has brought some printers into the flexo field. Composite printing is used in narrow-web web-fed label printing. Several printing and processing methods are used in the machine. May include water-based ink flexo printing, UV flexo printing, rotary screen printing, text printing, offset printing, gravure printing, hot laminating, cold coating, and bronzing. More and more packaging processors are using the production methods of UV flexo printing, UV rotary screen printing, and hot laminating. Printers now using other printing methods may also incorporate flexo technology into existing printing methods. There are indications that sheet-fed offset printers are also sticking to flexo printing. Regardless of how flexible printing continues to develop, costs will remain a key factor in the overwhelming development. The continuous pressure from printing customers has caused printers and ink manufacturers to work hard to reduce the cost of ink. Therefore, the future will continue to put forward higher requirements for printing methods and ink production management.
According to the survey of the US "Ink World", it is noted that printing companies and ink manufacturers will continue to merge; in the next few years, more printing companies will turn to flexo printing. As the public’s increasing environmental protection demands and the pursuit of environmental protection work conditions, those non-traditional flexographic ink manufacturers will join the ranks of flexo ink manufacturers. The flexo ink production market is profitable. In the future, we will see a lot of suppliers of flexo ink production.
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