Uv curable ink a basic guide

UV Curable Ink : A Basic Guide Ultraviolet curing or UV curing is a process in which high-intensity Ultra Violet (UV) light is utilized to instantly "cure" or "dry" inks, coatings or adhesives through a photochemical reaction. UV curing is used for printing, decoration, and stereo lithography. It is a low temperature, high speed and solvent less process wherein curing or drying is caused by polymerization and not evaporation.

UV curable ink does not contain any solvent or volatile organic compound (VOC) and is 100% stable. The cure happens through the interaction between the ink ingredients and the strong UV light source of the dryer/reactor within a matter of a few seconds. This particular feature makes UV curable ink popular, although solvent inks are relatively inexpensive, have good durability and coverage. But they emit a strong odor that can cause health issues.

UV inks are used in screen printing processes on products ranging from T-shirts to 3D cylindrical products. They are also used in finishing instruments like guitars, violins etc., and other wood craft industries and extensively used to print on a broad range of substrates like plastics, paper, canvas, glass, metal, tile, films, foam boards and much more.

Still, it is not possible to switch over to UV curable ink for all uses. Like any other product, it has its own set of advantages and disadvantages.

Advantages of UV Curable Ink 1. Fast Curing Depending on the color of the ink and the intensity of the UV light source the cross-linking of UV ink takes a mere 2 to 3 seconds which results in high operating speed. UV inks can be used in high-speed production equipment without the need of large dryers, unlike high-speed solvent systems.

New generation graphic presses use UV inks for this advantage to get multiple colors in succession without moving the substrate, resulting in high production rate.

2. No Screen Cleaning Needed UV ink does not dry in the screen and therefore enables the printer to work for an extended period without clogging the mesh, giving excellent output throughout. Also UV ink prints through very high mesh counts, as high as 165 threads/cm.

3. Clean Color Spectrum UV inks have opacity from transparent to translucent. The high level of transparency produces clean color spectrum making them a preferred choice for four color graphic printing. Point to note here is there is no opaque UV ink.

Disadvantages Of UV Ink 1. Not Suitable For All Substrates There are some graphic substrates that are not suitable for UV inks, there solvent ink is the only option. Also they are not suitable for dark substrates.

2. Limited Durability UV inks cannot withstand environmental effects like the sun. This is the reason the exterior of airplanes must be printed with solvent inks to be durable, whereas for the interior UV is suitable.

3. Fast Erosion UV ink deposits are thin, making them unsuitable for use in an abrasive environment as they erode away fast unlike screen printing that gives a heavier deposit of ink.

4. Less Flexibility Cured inks are more brittle than solvent ink films making them unsuitable for application on products that are molded into shapes after they are printed. For example vinyl wraps for vehicles.

STS Inks has the best collection of UV cartridges at the best prices. The company has been delivering high quality inks compatible with most major brands. The company has worldwide distributors in more than 150 countries including South America, Europe, Asia