What is UV Ink made of ?
UV ink is a type of ink where ultra-violet lights dry or cure the ink. It was introduced in the early 1970s. However, it gained popularity only in early 2000s. According to industry experts, UV inks dramatically improve the efficiency, cost of production, and quality of the output.
They further add that UV inks have outstanding chemical and physical properties and don’t require any protective varnish. Additionally, their fast curing process also allows printers to save energy and yield a high output level. The most exciting part about UV inks is that they are economical and do a better job than solvent and water-based inks.
Another significant feature of UV inks is that it seamlessly adds intense colors, unlike other variants. Being able to print sharper and finer dots, it provides printers with the opportunity to print high-quality printed materials, thereby adding value to the product.
The stability of UV inks is another major reason behind their surging popularity all over the world. As the ink only cures when exposed to high-intensity UV light, it needs no modification or adjustments to remain at the same viscosity level.
What is UV Printing?
Now that we know what UV ink is let’s now throw light on UV printing.
UV Printing is a form of digital printing that uses ultra-violet ink. As the printer distributes the ink on the material (known as “substrate”) specially designed UV lights cure and dry it instantly. Since UV lights can cure any printed ink immediately, dots of wet ink don’t spread out once printed, resulting in better quality printed material. Additionally, UV cured inks are resistant to sudden temperature changes and offer increased resistance to fading.
According to experts, this curing process is more environment-friendly as it produces minimal odor and heat. Also, UV printing allows flatbed printer to be used with non-traditional materials like acrylic or aluminum.
Advantages of UV Printing
Here are a few noteworthy benefits of using UV Printing –
- The ink dries as soon as it comes off the press. No time is lost waiting for the ink to dry before folding, binding or carrying out other finishing activities.
- UV printing works with a variety of materials including paper and non-paper substrates. UV printing works exceptionally well with synthetic paper – a popular substrate for maps, menus and other moisture-resistant applications.
- UV-cured ink is way less prone to scratches, scuffs or ink transfer during handling and transportation. It is also resistant to fading.
- Printing is sharper and more vibrant. Since the ink dries so rapidly, it doesn’t spread or absorb into the substrate. As a result, the printed materials stay crisp.
- The UV printing process doesn’t cause any damage to the environment. As the UV-cured inks are not solvent-based, there are no harmful substances to evaporate into the surrounding air.
So, here was a complete guide on UV ink and its importance in UV printing. Do let us know what you think in the comment section if you’re already using UV inks or planning to use it soon.