After trialing a new translucent material for GF Smith we are happy to say we have successfully produced our first two jobs on the substrate. One in colour and one in black and white.
For more information on Cromatico or any other GF Smith product please click the visit website link below.
Ultraviolet curing (with relation to printing), more commonly referred to as just UV-curing , the process whereby a solvent-free ink is ‘dried’ to the substrate to which it is being applied via exposure to ultraviolet light. The technologies responsible for such production methods are still in their infancy in comparison to older, more developed techniques involving solvent based inks.
Ultraviolet, or UV, light is electromagnetic radiation with frequencies corresponding to a particular region on the electromagnetic spectrum. With frequencies typically ranging between 200 and 400 nano metres, UV radiation is outside the ranges of visible light. As a consequence of this, UV light cannot be seen with the human eye.
The UV-curable inks used in the printing industry are referred to as ‘dry’ inks owing to the fact that they are not part of a solvent solution whereby the solvent evaporates (or ‘dries’) during the curing process. These inks are ‘cure-on-demand’; in short, they will only begin to cure in the presence of UV light of a sufficient intensity. This means that standard light won’t trigger the curing process, which has many benefits in manufacturing.
The presence of UV of a certain frequency and intensity activates a component in the ink called the ‘photoinitiator’, which begins the curing process. It should be noted that differing photoinitiators require varying frequencies and intensities of UV radiation to activate. Upon activation, the photoinitiator generates radicals which act as a catalyst in the process, curing the substances involved via the mechanism of polymerisation.
Since their advent, UV-cured inks have demonstrated some much sought after characteristics, which are constantly being further developed and enhanced. These advantageous characteristics include;
These characteristics are already providing great advantages over previous printing materials and methods, and just like many other developing technologies, show an indication for even greater potential in the years to come.
The digital printing industry has this week received news of a brand new digital printing system capable of inkjet printing to flexible materials without the need for pre-treating;
The EFI Jetrion 4830 LED UV inkjet system, partnered with a new flexible ink set, promises printing onto unsupported and heat sensitive materials, including printing to shrink sleeve packaging. This new system utilises low heat, targeted wavelength curing allowing inkjet printing to packaging materials previous unsupported by traditional ultraviolet curing methods. Unlike other digital printing systems, there is no requirement to pre-coat or pattern-coat flexible substrates, reducing production cost and complexity.
The advent of UV curing introduced an extremely convenient curing solution in the fact that they provide a ‘cure on demand’ capability. In contrast to compounds that say, harden at room temperature and that must be mixed and used within a specific time period, they open opportunities for more flexible production of cured media and eliminate a potential source of process variability. So not only do they provide a more convenient method for cured media manufacture, they also produce more consistent results.
As with all other print production technologies, research and development in UV curing is bound to continue advancing, with EFI currently leading the way.