Don Duncan

What can’t UV and EB (electron beam) inks do? They cure fast. They allow for high print quality. They’re nice to look at. And, they’re kind to Mother Nature. No wonder they are becoming common in the package-printing industry. According to Don Duncan, director of research, Wikoff Color Corporation, more than 90 percent of all EB inks and at least half of all UV inks are used in packaging. “As it relates to UV offset inks, the newer ink technologies have a wider operating window, which allows UV offset printers to print using very high screens without having issues relative to water-balance. New UV

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

Numbers show that the usage of EB inks and equipment are on the rise. Now suppliers are working to get them in the spotlight. "POINTING TO THE significant operations and 'enabling' benefits of the process, suppliers of ultraviolet (UV) and electron beam (EB) technology are bullish on near-term growth prospects," says the RadTech biennial survey North American Market Update. "Survey respondents, including over 80 industry suppliers and end users, project market growth of six to nine percent each year over the next three years ... and report growth of UV- and EB-formulated product usage up over eight percent during the two-year period 2000

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 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.