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

By Tom Polischuk

To get a true picture, however, “you have to look at the total costs/benefits,” says Kucharski. “So many printers only look at the initial investment for the UV lamps and equipment.”

The reason for considering low-odor UV coatings is that odor is one of the issues with the use of UV components. “Products coated with UV can have a strong odor, which is why many consumer product companies still do not take advantage of UV coatings,” says Signet. The availability of low-odor UV formulations opens the door for use in some applications.