Cures for Wider Webs?

Mark Hahn, vice president of sales and marketing for AAA Press International, chalks up the slower rate of mid- and wide-web acceptance to “penetration of both solvent- and water-based ink systems in these markets.” Hahn observes an increasing UV usage in mid-web, where printers are interested in capitalizing on UV’s high-density, 100 percent solids ink systems for improved color vibrancy and opacity. He has seen some printers install one or two UV units on wider presses to lay down dense white UV inks, and then print water or solvent inks over the white for a more vibrant result, particularly in film applications. Other mid-web printers have made a complete conversion to UV for certain applications that require high-end, 200-lpi process work, he says.