INX International Ink Co.

Round up of the latest offerings in UV inks and coatings for enhancing durability and high-end graphics.

SCHAUMBURG, Ill.— At Hall 4, Exhibit C11, designers, brand marketers, printers, converters, and other drupa visitors will see new ways to achieve higher-impact and more precisely and efficiently produced packaging and commercial printing. From May 29 to June 11, 2008 in Dusseldorf, Germany, drupa Hall 4, Exhibit C11 is where the Sakata INX Group, under the banner of “Bringing Vision to Creation, Originality to Communication and Color to Human Life,” will showcase its products, worldwide systems and services, along with those of its U.S.-based subsidiary, INX International Ink Co. and its digital arm, INX Digital. A separate display in Hall 8b, Exhibit C02, will

Coating technologies sometimes seem like they can do it all, from the mundane to the smart technology applications that are opening up creative opportunities for package printers and consumer products companies alike. Whether it’s water-based, solvent-based, or UV/EB curing, coatings are helping companies save money and sell product—in anyone’s book, a pretty good combination of benefits. Each of the coating technologies has an important role to play in package printing. INX International manufactures all three primary types—water, solvent, and energy cured—but Davant Davis, INX national accounts manager, aqueous solutions, throws his hat in the ring for water-based systems offering the best growth potential. His

INK IS THE colorful part of the package-printing process. Metallics, phosphorescents, pearlescents, fluorescents—ink is often the most eye-catching component of packaging. That may be why, even in the face of rising production and product prices, the ink industry saw growth in 2005. For the last two years, ink manufacturers have had to boost the price of their products between 5-15 percent, with some offerings soaring as much as 30 percent. While some of the price hikes appear to be exorbitant, it's what ink companies have had to do to sustain margins and survive. At the root of this problem is the escalating cost of

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

acpo ltd. Manufactures self-wound overlaminates. Offers UL-listed products, thermal transfer-printables, mattes, and easy-release polyesters. Write 910, Visit www.acpo.com ADM Tronics Manufactures water-based, environmentally safe chemical products for converting, food packaging, printing, related industries.Write 911, Visit admtronics.com Adheso Graphics Plate mounting tapes for narrow-, wide-web flexo printing. D/C thin tapes for bonding applications. Compressible foam backing C-Series cushions for corrugated high graphics reproduction. Adhesive transfer, rotary letterpress mounting tapes. Write 912, Visit adhesographics.com Adhesives Research High-performance, pressure-sensitive adhesive splicing tape technology for pulp and paper, laminating, converting, packaging, extrusion, metallizing, non-woven, printing industries. Write 913, Visit www.adhesivesresearch.com Basic Adhesives Manufactures

These products and companies were the most sought-after in 2002 by packagePRINTING readers. Top 10: Prepress Equipment 1. Creo—PDF-based packaging workflow Prinergy Powerpack, copydot scanning systems, film imagers, and CtP devices 2. Agfa—Workflow and color management systems including the AgfaScan XY-15 Plus, Sherpa 43 Inkjet system, and Lithostar plates 3. Kodak Polychrome Graphics—Offers Digital and conventional plates, film, and proofing and color technologies including the Kodak Approval XP unit 4. BASF—Offers Nyloflex® and Nyloprint® equipment combinations for processing photopolymer flexo and letterpress plates and sleeves 5. MacDermid—Broad range of sheet, liquid, digital, and water-wash photopolymer plates, platemaking equipment, sleeves,

With the assistance of INX, the Roll Labels Division of Universal Products becomes in demand for "on-demand." Since its inception six years ago, the Roll Labels Division of Universal Products has become the company's fastest growing business unit, converting and diecutting in-line, 4-color process labels. Things are going so well, in fact, that a 300 percent growth target has been projected for this year, and its managers are confident the goal is attainable. Based in Goddard, KS, the Roll Labels Division prints labels for a diverse range of regional and national companies, including such high-profile companies as Intel, Coleman and Excel Corporation. Roll Labels