In printing paper packaging, ink determines 90% of product quality. Therefore, you need to consider and learn the characteristics, properties, advantages, and disadvantages of each type of ink to make the most suitable choice. Starprint would like to introduce to you 5 popular types of ink used in printing technology today.
1. Water-based ink on paper packaging
Water-based printing ink gets used to print directly on materials made from cellulose such as cotton fabric, silk fabric, jute, hemp, rattan, sedge mat, wood, etc. It has the characteristic of being soluble in water at normal temperature (from 50 to 60 degrees C and hardly soluble below 25 degrees C). Besides, the ink can dry naturally without heat or light treatment.
The advantage of this ink for paper packaging is its lightweight feature when getting absorbed into the material. It after the printing process gives the users a classic feeling. Further than that, the water-based ink has high adhesion and high durability without easily cracking and peeling.
On the other hand, this type of ink has less adhesion than oil-based ink because it utilizes distilled water or solvent to dilute in printing. Some popular water-based inks people love to use nowadays are Matsui, Colorlab, Silkflex, Shinakamura, Furukawa, etc. Together with pre-mixed colors, this ink gets used to print on materials such as wood and paper cartons.
2. Oil-based ink – Plastisol ink
Oil-based ink gets prepared from a petroleum base, having an oily and strong smell depending on the type. But UV or Plastisol, eco-solvent ink usually has a lighter smell than normal. The characteristic of oil-based ink is that it adheres better than water-based one. Yet, it tends to be more toxic than water-based ink.
As for Plastisol ink, it gets exclusively made for printing on fabrics and owns a light oil base. Thus, you might find it a bit difficult to distinguish the ink. You can only do this when wiping the plate or using a solvent to expose the oil base. Aside from using Plastisol ink to print textures on fabrics as well as paper packaging, this ink is also used to print fabric decals (fabric labels).
3. Oil-based ink – UV ink for metalized paper packaging
UV ink is also an oil-based type, but it dries under UV (ultraviolet) light. And it’s possible to use it for printing on many materials. Besides, the ink features high adhesion, and we can add it as a glossy or a rough surface to our finished products.
Last but not least, UV ink bears a wide range of functionality that makes it a perfect option for packaging. If you require outstanding print quality, durability, and user-friendliness, then this ink can satisfy all!
For further packaging advice, Starprint is confident to be a reliable partner to give you a hand. Click here to find out how we apply color psychology to our products, or contact us to have the most effective and eye-catching solutions for paper packaging.