INK

In-house training program for M D Gunasena & co.

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Resin, alkyds, oil Solvents
• Press
Stability
Varnish/Vehicle • Resin
• Pigment wetting
• Tack + Solubility
• Gloss Ink
Colorants Additives
• Rub Resistance
• Pigments, • Drying
• dyes • Gloss
 Pigments
• Pigments are solid particles or molecular
agglomerates that must be held in suspension in
the base liquid.
• Pigments are organically or inorganically colored,
white, or black substances that are insoluble in
the vehicle.

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 Dyes
• Dye molecules are surrounded by solvents (base
liquid), so that almost every molecule can absorb
photons, which leads to higher color intensity
and more luminous colors.

• Dyes have a larger range of colors and naturally

transparent.
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 Vehicle
• The vehicle is a fluid component of printing inks serve
as a carrying medium for dyes and Pigments
• gives the necessary flow and tack to the ink to enable
them to distribute on the printing machine and
transfer properly from the rollers to the forms.
• binds the ink to the paper and imparts drying
properties to the ink.

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 Driers
• The oxidation of drying oils can be speeded
up by adding a small amount of driers.

• They are metals such as cobalt, manganese.

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Ink additives
• Waxes – improve rub resistance, reduce tack,
reduce viscosity.
• Anti-skinning Agents- Prevent drying ink on
roller/fountain.
• Plasteicizers- flexibility of ink and improve
binding to substrate.
• Wetting Agent- promote pigment dispersion.

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Ink additives
• Reducer –reduce tack, reduce viscosity.
• Stiffening agent- Prevent chalking on
coated stock.
• Shortning compounds- reduce ink flying
and misting
• Antiset- prevent setoff ink.

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Properties and Characteristics of Ink
• Good color strength
• Light fastness
• Fastness to chemicals
• Resistance to heat
• Fine particle size
• Ability to be dispersed in the vehicle
• Wettability, non-abrasiveness
• Flow properties

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 Properties required of Ink
• Color Properties – depend on amount of pigments
• Mass tone
• Under tone
• Tinting strength
• Viscosity – resistance of fluid to flow
• Ability to change its’ viscosity when shear (Thixotrophy)
• On press rollers quickly become softer as fluid
• Tinting strength
• Tack – Resistance of a thin ink film to rapid splitting
• Tack rated inks
• Uni tack inks.

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 Properties required of Ink
• Length– ability to form a string when pulled by spatula.
• Too Short inks ink piles up on rollers
• Too Long inks cause fly and mist.
• Gloss – Shiny appearance of printed ink.
• High molecular weight of synthetic resin provide glossiness
• Depend on ability to stand out with out penetrating.
• Emulsification – ability to mix with dampening solution
• Causing brightness of ink
• High tack ink has less tendency to emulsify .

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 • Matt /Gloss inks
Types of Ink • Opaque inks
• Transparent inks
• Quick-set inks
• Web of set inks (Cold-set / Heat-set ink)
• Sheet fed ink
• Metallic/ Florescent/ Pearlescent
• UV ink
• Edible ink
• Scratch and sniff inks ( perfume)
• Phosphorescent ink (glow on dark)
• Hi-Fi (High-Fidelity ink )
• Magnetic ink

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Curing of ink
• Oxidation & Polymerization
• Top Drying and Trough drying
• UV curing
• EB Curing
• LED curing

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