Novel Printing Concept for Sustainable Packaging

The new inks were formulated with viscosities of 20-30 cps, levels similar to those for solvent-based systems. A low and consistent viscosity level throughout the printing process is important in gravure printing to obtain good ink release from the cells and transfer to the surface, especially at the high press speeds common for this printing method. Minimum flocculation was observed even at very low stress levels (< 1 Pa) for yellow, magenta, and cyan inks, while the black ink showed some flocculation tendency, but it disappeared at slightly higher stress levels (~2.5 Pa).