Technology has changed our lives while making today's printing industry. As an important raw material in the printing process, the development and changes of inks are closely related to the rise and fall of the printing industry. As packaging printing and inkjet printing have gradually become the vane of the global printing industry, the corresponding flexo inks and digital inks have also become the focus of attention.
The rise of packaging market--flexible printing ink ushered in development opportunities
With increasing consumer interest and increasing demand for functional and sensory packaging, the US flexo ink market showed a positive growth trend from 2013 to 2014. The expansion of flexo technology in quality, speed and printing format also laid the foundation for the development of the flexo ink field in the next few years.
The National Association of Printing Ink Manufacturers pointed out in the "End of Industry Report 2013" published in April 2014 that the market for solvent-based flexo inks and water-based flexo inks in the United States has grown significantly. Packaging inks, an increase of 1.3% over 2012, of which flexo printing inks account for a very large proportion.
It is understood that many gravure printing plants in the United States now have flexographic printing presses, which enables them to have the ability to participate in market competition in more applications. In addition, the improvement of printing resolution and the expansion of color gamut have also promoted the steady growth of flexo ink to a certain extent.
At present, the packaging market in the United States is booming, and there is a huge demand for flexo inks, which has prompted many functional ink manufacturers to invest more manpower, material resources, and financial resources in product and technology development. From a technical point of view, the growth potential of water-based flexo inks is greater, and it has gained a certain market share from offset printing and solvent-based inks.
Nevertheless, this does not mean that gravure ink will be eliminated by the market. On the contrary, the market demand for gravure inks will still be very strong. It's just that there are more opportunities for flexo inks.
On the whole, flexo ink will continue its growth in the previous years in 2014. As one of the largest applications of flexo inks, the US packaging market, especially functional and sensory packaging, will continue to grow.
The rise of inkjet printing-the growth of the digital ink market
Whether in customized printing or short-run printing, digital printing has opened up new markets with its own technical strength, and as speeds increase, quality improves, and unit costs decrease, inkjet printing will also find New development opportunities.
In this process, the reduction of ink droplets, the acceleration of inkjet speed, the increase of ejection frequency, and the emergence of high-density printheads have all created possibilities for the advancement of digital technology. There are countless innovations in inkjet technology, the most striking of which is the breakthrough in print head technology in the past three years. The current print head has a wider ejection range and a more flexible installation position, and it also puts forward higher requirements for the materials used to make ink; and the improvement of ink materials has promoted the increase of inkjet speed to a certain extent.
Advanced ink and distribution technology allows users to use less ink to achieve better density effect, which will make black become blacker, and enable users to print brighter color effects at higher speed and lower cost .
Printing high-quality images on different substrates is also one of the biggest advances in inkjet technology in recent years. Taking textile printing as an example, inkjet technology has a simpler production process than traditional printing technology, and does not require storage of printing plates, which can greatly reduce waste. At the same time, the water-based inks it uses are also more environmentally friendly. This shows that the advancement of inkjet technology has promoted the upgrading of the ink industry.
The large-format inkjet printing market has a very urgent need for sustainable ink solutions. Water-based latex inks and a new generation of high-speed environmentally friendly solvent-based inks are all highly attractive in this market. From the perspective of future development trends, the field of large-format digital printing will gradually phase out traditional solvent-based inks and switch to more environmentally friendly ink solutions.
High-speed printing and sustainable development not only open the door to new markets for large-format digital printing, but also bring new opportunities to printers and ink manufacturers. High-speed printing not only improves the productivity but also improves the cost-effectiveness of inkjet printing, but it also puts forward higher requirements on the performance of the ink. For example, many ink manufacturers are now striving to improve the adhesion of ink on short-run printing jobs.
This is an era in which technology is the core competitiveness. Whether it is flexo ink or digital ink replacement, it brings us new opportunities and challenges. The more brave people are to invest in new technologies and products, the more likely they are to take the lead in the fierce market competition.
Guangzhou Shiruoni Cosmetics Co., Ltd. , https://www.shiruoni.com