What is UV Printing?
UV printing is a type of digital printing that uses ultraviolet light to dry or cure the ink as it gets printed on the surface. The printer continues to apply ink onto a surface, and the Ultraviolet light follows closely, drying or curing the ink immediately.
This technology allows for direct printing on virtually any flat or 3D media. It also makes it possible to quickly customize products. Ultraviolet is used in packaging solutions companies because of this. The UV ink is printed directly onto the substrate, and it gets exposed to UV light, it instantly turns to a solid state from the liquid.
How do you choose between Ultra-Violet and Conventional
Printing?
The conventional printing methods use inks having special solvents that evaporate in the air upon their application onto the material during the printing process. The solvents evaporate in the air, allowing for ink to be absorbed into the material. After the solvents are removed, the ink dries and forms a digital image. Different spray powders may be required to speed up drying. This printing method cannot be used with plastics, acrylics, foil, and other materials.
Ultra-Violet (UV) Printing - Procedure
UV printing uses ultraviolet lights to dry the ink as more info it is printed. The printer spreads the ink onto the material's surface. The UV light follows from behind, drying it instantly. The trend in printing right now is ultraviolet printing. It is more sustainable than traditional printing.
Direct printing is possible on virtually any 3-D media. This allows for quick product customization. The UV ink is printed directly on the substrate. When exposed to UV light, the ink turns almost instantly from liquid to solid. Because there is almost no evaporation or absorption of ink in the paper, UV inks can be used to print practically any item.
The UV inks evaporate quickly and leave no VOCs in the environment. UV printing is considered safe and green.
LED UV Printing
Led-UV printing is the advanced version of the UV Printing technology generating the wavelength at a light spectrum of 385-395nm (nanometre). This light is safer that its counterpart. These results are far more efficient than traditional UV printing.
In many ways, printing with led UV is a better option. Led UV is safer than UV printing. It doesn't require mercury lamps to cure the inks. Secondly, the power consumption is lesser than conventional UV printing.
Luxury businesses are looking for long-lasting UV printing. The consumers can get color enhancements on the final printed products with high-quality finishing that leaves a long-lasting impression on the buyer. The faster drying time gives a better turnaround time, making it a reliable printing technology for the pharmaceutical and FMCG industries.
LED-UV printing can be considered eco-friendly because there is no volatile organic compound (VOC) emissions during the printing process. For companies to invest less in infrastructure, LED-UV printing requires less capital. Moreover, the consumers get a better quality product with a glossy and shiny finish.
UV Print Technology in Food Packaging Industry
Personalization is big business worldwide and digital UV printing can help you meet that demand, increase your product sales, and remain competitive.
Traditional printing methods can be dangerous because food could get contaminated if ink substances are transferred to food items. These inks weren't cured, so there was always the risk of contamination. Also, the final packaging of the foods was not up to the mark.
It has proven to be very successful in UV printing food packaging. UV inks get cured during the printing process leaving behind no harmful solvents that can contaminate the food inside the packaging. This method is being used by more food manufacturers around the world to produce customized food packaging.
UV Printing in Pharmaceutical Industry
Each label is unique. Different applications call for different printing technologies. Whether it is pharma, sports, food, durable, beverages, cosmetics, or any other industry, every label comes with its own aesthetics. A form of security printing, UV printing, is used extensively in the pharmaceutical industry.
These labels can include medical and drug labels. They are susceptible to forgery and counterfeiting, which makes them different from other types of labels. The pharmaceutical industry uses UV printing to protect itself against these bad practices. It can also be used with serialization.
Invisible UV inks are used for pharmaceutical printing. This method is one of most effective ways to combat counterfeiting in pharmaceutical manufacturing. These inks can't be seen by the naked eye but can still be seen when UltravioletLEDs are used. These invisible UV inks are used to identify pharmaceutical products and prevent them from being counterfeited.
UV Printing has Untold Rewards
It is clear that ultraviolet print is the future for the packaging and printing industry. Grand Prints suggests it as economical and eco-friendly and provides business-generating advantages such as:
A wider range of print applications: LEDs have a lower heat output and are cooler to the touch. They are therefore able to be used in a wider range of print applications. You can print easily on heat-sensitive substrates, such as thin slides or self-adhesive sheets.
Faster than Conventional Printing. UV printing is faster than conventional printing. The ink doesn't dry in time because it dries during the photochemical process. It is almost instantaneous.
It's cost-effective: Because it takes less time to dry, you can save money. Because the finished product is able to dry faster, it can be printed more quickly. This technique does not require any aqueous coatings as is the case with
conventional inks.
A vibrant finish: UV printing produces a more vivid finish than traditional printing because the ink is not allowed to soak into the material/paper. This technique allows for photo-realistic printing.
The Bottom Line
UV printing is an industry trend. It will continue to rise in the coming years and will find its applications in more industries. UV printing, with its eco-friendly and cost-effective nature, is certain to be the future in packaging and printing.