Water-based, UV/EB, and solvent-based coatings are workhorses in the package-printing industry.

By Tom Polischuk

Coatings are available in several general forms including solvent-based, aqueous, and UV/EB. Each has its own strengths and weaknesses, and can provide an adequate or even best-suited solution for any particular packaging application.

However, energy-curable (UV and EB) coatings, being relative newcomers to the field, are making their presence felt—UV in particular. Generally, UV coatings provide enhanced gloss and resistance characteristics versus their competing cousins, along with other desirable product and processing features.