UV curing inks are specially formulated inks that remain liquid until they are cured with exposure to intense ultra-violet light. The UV light cross-links the ink components into a tough polymer. This reaction is very fast—almost instant. They contain no solvents, and don’t rely on absorption into substrates for drying.
Advantages
VOC Free
By far, the biggest advantage to UV curing ink is lack of solvent fumes (also known as volatile organic compounds, or VOC’s for short). In addition to smelling bad, VOC’s are a health risk to our employees and a contributor to air pollution. Using UV curing inks is part of PrismTech’s commitment to environmental responsibility.
Production Speed
Instant drying means prints are cured and ready to be finished immediately after printing.
Image quality
Since the inks can only be reacted with strong UV light, they don’t clog heads or screens like solvent-based inks, allowing for more production and less maintenance. In screen printing, we can use finer mesh which allows for higher detail and better highlight reproduction.
Colour quality
UV inks don’t have a solvent that is evaporated, so 100% of the ink deposit is colorant. Also, they don’t absorb into porous materials, they sit on the surface. This gives UV ink more intense colour, even using less ink.
Durablity
The cross-linking of the ink molecules makes them durable. Our pigmented UV inks are rated for 3 years outdoors without overlaminate.
These are the reasons that PrismTech uses UV curing inks almost exclusively in our screen printing and digital flatbed printing departments.
These are the reasons that PrismTech uses UV curing inks almost exclusively in our screen printing and digital flatbed printing departments.
Get in Touch
Have a project to quote? Get in touch with a Hemlock Display print specialist. We’re here to help!