Increased demand for environmental protection and specialty inks (II)

Special ink

Special inks are inks with special properties or special applications. A wide range of specialty inks include: liquid crystal inks, photosensitive color-changing inks, clear inks, and pearlescent inks.

LCD ink

Liquid crystal inks incorporate compounds with crystalline properties in the ink. Under the influence of weak currents and temperatures, bright and dark patterns and colors are displayed due to changes in the crystal lattice. Labels and packaging printed with this type of ink can react with changes in temperature and act as an anti-counterfeit.

The liquid crystal ink printing method is preferably screen printing, so that the printed product has a reversible reaction or an irreversible reaction printing method. The key to liquid crystal printing technology is the ability to display brightly colored liquid crystals at different temperatures, and to make series in the color temperature range. The screen used for the printing of liquid crystal ink is generally a nylon screen or a polyester screen. If a large amount of ink is required for the printing plate, a stainless steel screen plate may be used.

Liquid crystal ink is a kind of new ink material with great vitality and yet to be developed. Its printing application is very extensive. The use of such ink printing trademarks, packaging paper, etc., affixed to some products that are afraid of heat, according to the changes in the color of the pattern, to understand the quality of the contents of the contents, such as candy on the bright screen of the paper becomes gray, it should be as soon as possible Eat candy, otherwise it will melt; printed on the container liquid crystal pattern, you can display the container inside the humidity. As the technology matures and the printing market continues to expand, LCD inks will have greater use.

Photochromic ink

Photochromic inks, also called photochromic inks, are photochromic or photoactive compounds that are added to the ink. In the sun, the ink can change from colorless to colored, or from orange to black, etc., and can generally be divided into common type and UV type. . Ordinary type means that under the effect of ordinary daylight and strong light, the color of the ink will change, and it will return to its original shape after leaving the light source. It looks like it is discolored under the sun, and it is essentially changed by ultraviolet radiation. The color changing wavelength is 400~800nm. The application of this kind of ink in packaging and decoration not only can improve the grade of goods, increase interest, but also highlight the anti-counterfeiting effect. UV type ink is colorless or does not change color under the irradiation of ordinary light sources, but it will show bright red, orange, yellow, green and green fluorescence under UV light (UV light) irradiation.

In screen printing, thermochromic and photochromic inks can be transferred to different substrates, such as paper, cloth, nylon, plastic, metal, glass, ceramics, etc., by screen printing. It has the characteristics of sensitive to external conditions, obvious changes and rapid recovery. It is the ideal material for anti-counterfeiting technology and interesting gifts. It has broad development and application value.

Pearlescent ink

Pearlescent ink is a new type of ink that reproduces the elegant luster and color of pearls, shells, butterflies, fish and metals found in nature. The principle is generated by the refraction and reflection of light by the wafer layer structure. Pearlescent printing can be carried out in offset printing, gravure printing, flexo printing, and screen printing. It is low in price and excellent in durability and can prevent copying of scanners, extensions, and color copiers.

In order to maximize and fully demonstrate its pearlescent effect, the transparency of the binder, colorant, etc. used to formulate the ink is first. In the production process, the ink must be in the best suspension-miscible state. In addition, we must ensure that the ink layer of the printed product can receive plenty of light without losing a large amount of light. This can reveal the special optical interference function of pearlescent light, increase the depth and layering of color, and transform it into crystal clear and colorful. , pearl brilliance and elegant visual effects.

Environmental inks can meet the requirements of people for non-toxic, non-polluting, and special inks can cater to people's pursuit of colorful and pleasing. The market prospects of these two types of inks are undoubtedly worth looking forward to.

Source: China Ink Network