The Situation on Ink

The minor addition of UV lamps and associated costs may still be enough to keep some printers from adopting hybrid inks and its advantages, said Duncan. "Also, the inks smell differently and any change can be an issue for some press operators," he said.

Something special

Specialty inks play an important role in the ever-expanding quest for brand owners to differentiate their products on store shelves. For the past several years, the sparkle and shine of metallic inks have made them the most-used specialty inks among survey respondents. However, this year, 67 percent of printers said they used custom colors most frequently, compared to the 56 percent who said they used metallic inks the most.