Glossing Over Differences

The line of demarcation in choosing a coating comes down to equipment, economics, or substrate. Foust has witnessed the expansion of UV-curable products within the narrow-web market, as he says, "because it's easier to put UV lamps on these presses than large dryers for aqueous products."

Lenarduzzi agrees, estimating UV coatings dominate labels with about 80 percent of that market. However, as he points out, aqueous coatings, which are used primarily in food packaging applications requiring low taint and odor, make the better choice for certain porous substrates, where UV coatings do not always produce the desired end-result.