What is UV Printing and how can it help you?
UV printing, a digital type of printing that uses ultraviolet light to cure or dry ink while it's being spread on the surface, is a form of digital printing. As the printer passes over each spot where the ink has been printed, Ultraviolet lights follow close behind, instantly "curing" or drying the ink.
Ultraviolet print allows you to directly print onto almost any flat or 3D media. This allows you to create custom products. It is a popular choice for packaging companies because it allows you to print directly onto substrates and then expose it to ultraviolet light. The ink instantly solidifies.
How does it work?
Traditional printing techniques use inks with special solvents that evaporate into the air upon application onto the material during printing. The evaporation of these solvents allows the ink to absorb into the surface more readily and, once evaporated, leaves behind a digital image. To expedite drying time, different spray powders may be required; furthermore, this printing technique cannot be applied to materials like plastics, acrylics, or foil.
Ultraviolet (UV) Printing Process
The UV printer uses ultraviolet lights to quickly dry ink. The printer applies the ink to the surface of the material. After that, the UV lights dry it quickly. Ultraviolet printing, which is more sustainable than other methods, is currently a hot topic in the printing industry.
UV ink can be printed directly on the substrate (material), and it transforms almost instantly from liquid to solid when exposed to UV light. You can print almost anything with UV inks because there is little to no evaporation and virtually no absorption of solvents into paper. This technology provides direct printing capabilities onto an almost limitless range of 3-D media, enabling quick and effortless product customization.
UV inks dry quickly, leaving no VOCs behind. UV printing is an environmentally friendly technology that has a low carbon footprint.
LED UV Printing
Led-UV printing, the latest technology in UV printing, produces wavelengths of 385-395nm (nanometer). This new UV spectrum is safer than the older one and produces superior results to traditional UV printing methods.
Printing with led UV is a more practical choice than its UV counterpart. Firstly, unlike UV printing, led UV doesn't need mercury lamps for curing the inks; this makes it safer and cheaper because the light emitted falls within the UV-A range, offering greater security than its traditional counterpart. Furthermore, its power consumption Go here is less than that of conventional UV printing.
LED UV printing is the best option for luxury companies looking for long-lasting results. Furthermore, its faster drying time gives it greater reliability in the pharmaceutical and FMCG industries. The final printed product is enhanced with color and finished with superior quality that makes a lasting impression.
LED-UV printing is an environmentally friendly and green technology since there is no VOC (Volatile Organic Compound) emission during the printing process. The infrastructure required to install LED printing units is less expensive for companies, and the end result is a better product with a gloss finish.
UV printing in the food packaging industry
Personalization is a rapidly growing industry worldwide. Digital UV printing offers a great way to meet that demand, increase product sales and remain competitive.
Conventional printing was dangerous because inks from the printing plate could be transferred onto food items inside the packaging. These inks were not cured, so they could be contaminated. Also, the final food packaging was not up to standard.
This method of printing food packaging labels has proven to be a very successful one. UV inks cure while printing, so there are no hazardous solvents left that could contaminate the contents. Food manufacturers are increasingly using this method to customize food items and maintain high quality standards.
UV Printing in the Pharmaceutical Industry
Each industry is different. Different industries require different printing technologies. Every brand has its own aesthetic appeal. UV printing is one type of security printing popular within the pharmaceutical sector.
The uniqueness of pharmaceutical labels (such as medical and drug brands) is that they are susceptible to forgery or counterfeiting. In order to combat these practices, UV printing is used in the pharmaceutical industry.
Pharmaceutical printing uses invisible UV inks. This has been shown to be one of most effective techniques to prevent counterfeiting in the pharmaceutical sector. While these inks cannot be seen with the naked eye, they can be illuminated by Ultraviolet LEDs. Invisible UV inks are a powerful deterrent to counterfeiters because they have unique identification numbers attached each time a pharmaceutical item is opened.
UV Printing offers
Untold Benefits
Grand Prints argues that ultraviolet printing is the future of packaging and printing. It's economical, environmentally friendly, and has many business-generating benefits.
LED Print Applications - LEDs offer a cool, dry touch and minimal heat output making them perfect for printing on heat sensitive substrates like thin slides, self-adhesive sheets, and stretched PVC materials.
UV Printing Is More Fast Than Traditional Printing. Because UV ink is evaporative during the photochemical process, it doesn't take long for inks to dry. It's almost instantaneous.
This technique is cost-effective because it takes less time to dry. Because the product is quick drying, it can be printed faster. Plus, no aqueous coatings are necessary as with traditional inks for packaging printing.
Bright Finish: UV printing gives you a vibrant look because the ink doesn't have to soak into the material/paper. This method can create photo-realistic prints.