Novel Printing Concept for Sustainable Packaging

During field printing tests conducted at Amgraph, initial formulations of EB cured inks (CMYK, cyan, magenta, yellow, and black) were found to have desirable and consistent optical print densities and solvent resistance at different press speeds (500, 750, and 800+ feet per minute) and a moderate EB dose (20 kGy). Solvent rubs (isopropyl alcohol) generally fell in the range of 30–40 for the individual colors and approximately 60 for the four-color trap, which is a significant improvement over typical water-based inks (typically only 1–2 IPA rubs). Furthermore, the color came up quickly and the cured inks had much higher gloss compared to waterborne alternatives, according to Amgraph's director of R&D Sean Evans.