Wikoff Color Corp.

ACCEL GRAPHIC SYSTEMS The Sentinel Ink Management System is an electronically-controlled, completely automated cartridge-based ink dispensing system. Write 900, www.accelus.com, Alden & Ott Printing Inks Co. A total ink company, small enough to formulate custom solutions, but large enough to serve the needs of the most demanding industry giants. Write 901, Visit www.aldenottink.com American Water Graphics Ammonia-free flexo inks. Water-based ink systems flexo printing applications. Write 902, Visit www.awg-ink.com ANI Printing Inks Water-based/UV Inks and coatings for the narrow-web, label, and packaging industries. Ink systems include: water-based flexo, UV flexo, UV letterpress, UV offset, UV rotary screen,

Is ink price not important? Are metallics losing steam? Industry experts explain the results of packagePRINTING's Ink Usage Survey. PACKAGEPRINTING'S 8TH ANNUAL Ink Usage Survey asked tag & label, flexible packaging, and folding carton printers, as well as ink suppliers, about everything from general ink usage/sales, to hybrids, specialty inks, and more. For a better understanding of the survey tallies, packagePRINTING asked ink suppliers to give their views on the results, many of which reflect a growing and evolving ink industry. Issues that matter On-press predictability and ink price have battled it out for the top spot on the list of package printers' main

Improved raw materials help spur growth of energy-curable inks. LUCK IS WINNING the lottery with a million-to-one chance, or catching the winning homerun ball in the deciding game of the World Series. But luck rarely has anything to do with success, as is the case with energy-curable inks, which have been increasing in demand thanks to the results of a lot of money, time, and energy spent in R&D. In the last few years, use of ultra-violet (UV) and electron beam (EB) inks has continued to grow with the introduction of new curing technologies, better inks, and lower costs for both. UV inks have

A troubleshooting guide to coatings and adhesives. by Kate Sharon, Associate Editor COATINGS AND ADHESIVES are the unsung heroes of the packaging world. They protect a package and its goods, while making it look and perform exceedingly better than it would otherwise. But when a problem arises in the application or formulation of a coating or adhesive, those protective, enhancing, and functional substances can be the sole reason for a job's rejection. To get to the root of such costly issues and for ways to prevent them, packagePRINTING recently asked industry suppliers for their advice. Coatings Coatings play a very critical role in

Learn prepress and on-press practices for ultimate aesthetic appeal using UV/EB and aqueous coatings and adhesives. by Jessica Millward, Associate Editor Energy-cured coatings/adhesives When not matched with the right inks, coatings and adhesives carry the potential for poor visual performance, especially in the case of energy-cured products. Complementary coating/adhesive and ink formulation is therefore an essential first issue in identifying the source of print flaws. SICPA Eastern Region Technical Manager Dave Steele lists the most common signs of improper coating formulation as deriving from poor wetting or poor adhesion characteristics. If the coating being employed is printed over an ink containing excessive silicone,

packagePRINTING went straight to its readers to explore trends in specialty, application-specific, and hybrid ink usage. by Kate Tomlinson, Assistant Editor THIS YEAR, packagePRINTING's annual ink survey spread its wings to cover more emerging usage trends. Among the findings: hybrid ink systems, while fairly new to the scene, are beginning to carve a niche for themselves. And, as printers expand their substrate capabilities, the use of application-specific inks is becoming commonplace. In addition, the tried-and-true specialty ink market continues to grow and release new products. Despite online purchasing's growth in many segments, the numbers show package printers are still fairly hesitant about this buying

Substrate and equipment concerns plot printers on either the aqueous or UV route to high-gloss printing. by Jessica Millward, Associate Editor UV-CURABLE FORMULATIONS are the big hitters of the coatings and adhesives market—offering remarkable gloss and great abrasion-, heat-, and chemical-resistance. Slightly less high-performance, yet in some cases more predictable, aqueous adhesives and coatings serve as reliable all-rounders. Suppliers say choosing between them depends on the nature of the job, and the equipment, at hand. Luster low-down Coatings manufacturers are largely unanimous when it comes to the virtues and challenges of aqueous and UV-curable formulations. Craig Adhesives & Coatings President Pat Foust,

Package printers still put metallic inks to work more often than other specialty formulations, but printing with custom-blended colors is even more commonplace. By Kate Tomlinson, Assistant Editor TWO YEARS AGO, packagePRINTING's annual ink usage survey asked tag and label, flexible packaging, and folding carton converters to identify their top specialty inks choices. The response was overwhelmingly in favor of metallic inks—83 percent of respondents had put metallics to work during 1998. pP's 2001 survey revisited this topic to find not much has changed. Due to some new options in specialty ink, usage percentages are spread over a wider spectrum, but metallics are still

Package printers share their picks and pans of specialty inks vital to on-the-shelf package differentiation. By Susan Friedman This time last year, packagePRINTING's ink survey revealed that more of its readers were using water-based inks than any other. At the same time, despite a slight usage decline, a solid number of converters planned to stay loyal to solvents. And excitement bubbled over UV quality and makeready benefits, particularly for narrow-web flexo. pP's 1999 ink survey deviates from the mainstream of solvent, water, UV and soy to take a closer look at the specifics of the specialty inks market: preferences, prices, press issues and more.