Fixing a Fable

Don Matthieson, marketing manager, Environmental Inks and Coatings (Morganton, N.C.): The biggest benefits of the UV process is that it uses 100 percent solid materials; there are simply no emissions from UV inks or coatings.

Robert Waddington, vp of sales, UVitec Printing Ink (Lodi, N.J.): When properly exhausted, there is no health risk. The chemicals used for wash up of the press and work area are on par with other industrial chemicals. Proper care should be used when handling any industrial chemicals and UV-specific chemistry is no different. That being said, there are many new low VOC products on the market which are both effective and address safety concerns. The UV curing lamps produce UV energy, but the ozone produced by the lamp is highly radical and quickly dissipates.