Inks, Coatings and Varnishes: A guide to manufacture, handling and performance

Inks, coatings and varnishes are too often treated as ‘commodities’ rather than highly engineered liquids and pastes which sit at the heart of a successful label production system. Inks need to fulfil multiple functions and roles: they must be safe to handle and use by the converter, they must coat a printing plate, yet release easily onto a wide range of different paper and filmic substrates; they must not deform or crack during post-print converting processes involving heat and pressure, or on shrinkable materials; they must resist damage from rubbing and jostling on high speed filling lines and during transit and stacking; and they must remain robust and readable throughout storage and handling by the final end user, whether consumer or industrial.

And throughout these processes, inks and coatings must fulfill the key decoration goal of keeping the brand’s message vibrant across a range of complex color shades and brand colors.

Finally, inks and coatings need to meet an increasingly tough range of legislative hurdles, not just in the ingredients manufacturers can use, but in the health and safety and handling of labels during the life of the products they decorate

This book covers all these subjects and looks at how inks are manufactured to achieve these complex performance requirements. The book examines different ink chemistries and drying/curing systems, their different applications and handling requirements.

It is hoped the reader will gain a comprehensive understanding of all aspects of ink manufacturing, application, handling and end user properties.

Chapters include:

• Introduction to color
• History of the ink manufacturing industry
• Understanding ink systems and chemistries
• Drying and curing systems
• Ink manufacturing
• The role of coatings
• Automating ink logistics
• Proofing and testing procedures
• Impact of legislation on ink manufacture and usage
• Security inks and coatings
• Total applied costs