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UV-curable Inks
The Future of Industrial InkJet Printing
Today, digital printing is fast becoming the preferred method for short-run and variable-data applications. While toner-based systems, such as Xerox Docucolor currently dominate document and variable-data printing, inkjet systems such as Agfas :Dotrix Transcolor are gaining market share. For wide format applications, such as tradeshow displays, billboards, signs, posters, banners and vehicle graphics, inkjet printing has always been centre stage. Inkjet is the choice for these types of printing because of the versatility of inkjet technology and the nature of inkjet inks. Inkjet inks are far more versatile. They extend beyond the CMYK colour set to include Light Magenta, Light Cyan, Grey, Photo Green and Blue, and even White. Such colours widen the gamut dramatically giving sign, display and screen printers a palette that allows them to match customised colours and reproduce vibrant, eye-catching colours. The most popular digital inks for wide format applications are solvent-based and UV-curable inks. Solvent inks have been more popular for long-term outdoor applications. However, advanced technical developments, along with stringent R&D testing have shown that the quality characteristics of UV-curable inks now rival their solvent-based counterparts. In three important areas UVcurable inks excel over their solvent counterparts: rapid drying characteristics allow unencumbered high-speed printing, substrate versatility (direct adherence to both flexible and rigid materials) greatly widen applications and eliminate the time-consuming step of mounting a printed substrate on a hard base; and finally, having no VOCs (Volatile Organic Compounds), they offer considerable environmental benefits. The advantages of UV-curable inks, therefore, far outweigh any disadvantages, earmarking them as the dominant consumable for the future of industrial inkjet printing.

Redefining inkjet printing


As a result of the technological evolution that has taken place over the past years regarding developments in printheads, inks, software and hardware, there is a clear need to redefine inkjet printing. Up to now inkjet printing was categorised based on the print width of printers: SOHO Wide or large format printing Superwide or grand format printing < 60 cm / < 24 in 60 cm 250 cm / 24 in 100 in > 250 cm / > 100 in

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As a result of this subdivision it is difficult to position a typical industrial inkjet technology such as single pass printing. Therefore we subdivide inkjet printers based on printing speed (m2/hr): SOHO Classical wide format printing Industrial wide format Industrial inkjet Typical printing speed < 5 m /hr
2

Dominant ink type(s) aqueous aqueous and solvent solvent and UV UV

5 20 m2/hr 20 100 m /hr


2

> 100 m2/hr

The UV-curing process


UV stands for ultra-violet, which refers to the wavelength of the light being used for the curing of UV-curable inks. Ultra-violet light is electro-magnetic radiation situated on the high frequency side (between 200 and 380 nm) of the light spectrum.

Figure: UV curing proces: 1. Schematic representation of UV ink, being jetted onto a substrate; pigment particles (yellow), photo-initiator (red) and monomers and oligomers (blue) 2. The UV light degradates the photo-initiator into free radicals which chemically react with the monomers and oligomers 3. Photopolymerisation continues until all monomers and oligomers have reacted 4. Solidified UV-curable ink with captured pigment particles

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After being jetted onto a substrate, the UV-curable ink is immediately cured upon radiation with UV light. During this curing process the monomers1 and oligomers2 immediately polymerize3 resulting in instantaneous solidification of the liquid ink droplet on the substrate. Since UV light does not have enough energy to start the polymerization process, photo-initiators are added to the formulation. These compounds generate free radicals4 that are needed to start the polymerization process (solidification of the ink).

UV Curing Technology in Everyday Life


It is used to modify the properties of plastics. It helps achieve the ideal hardness of contact lenses It works to tune the surface properties of lacquers It allows very fast hardening of dental fillings

Conditions Affecting Adhesion


The UV-curing process is very complex. Many parameters, such as ink colour, thickness of the ink layer, type of substrate, UV light source, exposure time, atmosphere, etc. can all affect the photopolymerization process. UV power and ink colour illustrate this.

UV Power
1. Little or no exposure, ink remains liquid 2. Partial curing (usually surface only) with possible skinning results in poor adhesion to the substrate 3. Tacky surface, common to under curing 4. Correctly cured with no tack, low odour, flexible and with good adhesion 5. Increased surface hardness that can become brittle with poor over printability 6. Primary ink surface not receptive to secondary inks resulting in poor adhesion and low flexibility

1 2

A monomer is a small molecule that may become chemically bonded to other monomers to form a polymer.

An oligomer consists of a finite number of monomer units in contrast to a polymer which consists of an unbounded number of monomers. Polymerization is a process of reacting monomer molecules together to form two- or three-dimensional networks of polymer chains. Free radicals are particles with unpaired electrons that are usually highly reactive, so radicals are likely to take part in chemical reactions such as polymerization.

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Ink Colour
Black inks are more difficult to cure. Thats because the black pigment particles absorb a significant amount of the UV light. Thus, more UV power is needed to obtain the same degree of adhesion. White ink has a similar effect. Instead of absorbing light, white ink reflects UV light. This also means that more curing power is needed to obtain similar adhesion characteristics.

Advantages of UV-curable inkjet inks


UV-curable inks have a number of advantages over other digital ink types. High printing speeds Applicable for a wider range of substrates Colour consistency Ecologically friendly no VOCs (Volatile Organic Compounds) Less ink consumption per m2

High printing speeds


Solvent-based printers require dryers to remove the large amounts of solvents from the substrate. This drying process can take several minutes. In contrast, UV-curable inks dry in secondsthe direct result of the curing process, which uses high-powered UV-lamps. These instant drying characteristics of UV-curable inks permit high-speed printing, whereas highspeed solvent systems require excessively large dryers to speed the drying process.

Wider range of substrates


Unlike aqueous, solvent and oil-based inkjet inks, UV-curable inks can be printed onto almost any substrate, both flexibles and rigids, both coated and uncoated. Examples are papers, plastic substrates such as vinyls, polycarbonate, polyesters, etc, but also textiles, wood, glass, ceramics, etc. The only exception is very smooth materials or polished surfaces with very little surface texture. However, even in this case UV-curable inks can be used after applying a primer. The benefits of printing directly on rigid surfaces such as glass and wood are twofold. First, the mounting step is eliminated thereby increasing productivity and saving money. Second, creative possibilities increasenot limited to a white (paper or vinyl) background.

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Colour consistency
Due to the slow drying of solvent-based inks, these inks dissolve in the substrate so that the colorants actually mix with the media rather than lie on its surface. In contrast UV-curable inks are being cured so fast that the ink droplet is more on top of the substrate. As a result, colour is more consistent from substrate to substrate and less ink is needed to cover the same image area.

Ecologically friendly
During the UV curing processthe interaction of the ink with a strong UV light sourcethe ink hardens instantaneously. As a result, the entire ink droplet is being solidified. That means nothing is released into the atmosphere. This coupled with the fact that most UV-curable inkjet inks contain no solvent(s), means no VOCs (Volatile Organic Compounds) are released. This is especially appealing in countries where strict environmental legislation applies and where ecological solutions can also result in financial benefit. In contrast, solvent inks release 80 to 90 percent of its ingredients into the atmosphere as vapours during the printing process. Plus, more solvent inks per square meter of substrate are required to achieve the same coverage (approximately 12-14 millilitres (ml) of solvent inks per m2 is used in comparison to only 8-10 ml of UV-curable inks).

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White Paper Less ink consumption per m2


One criticism of UV-curable inks is that they are generally more expensive than solvent inks. As UV inks proliferate the market, their cost will decrease. However, the cost of operating a UV system is actually lower than solvent systems for a number of reasons. First, because UV inks dry so rapidly UV systems are faster, therefore they yield higher productivity. Second, they print on any paper and any surface, so they do not require more expensive inkjet coated paper to produce optimal results. And because they can print on rigid materials, mounting can be eliminated for a number of applications. That saves both time and money. Third, greater colour fidelity means more accurate renderings on the first sheet. Eliminating reprints also saves both time and money. And fourth, because only 8-10 ml of UV ink is required per square meter of substrate in contrast to the 12-14 ml required for solvent systems, ink consumption is significantly lower with UV systems. The slightly higher cost of UV inks, therefore, is more than compensated for as a result of its productivity, versatility and quality advantages.

Continual Improvements
Solvent ink is a mature technology. UV-curable, however, is still undergoing a great deal of R&D to further optimize its properties. Moulding/Stretching characteristics UV-curable inkjet inks are ideal for a wide variety of printing applications onto flat or curved surfaceslabels on pots, bottles and curved containers, for example. However, typically they are slightly less flexible than solvent inks. So for applications that require a great deal of stretching, solvent inks generally perform better. For example, they more readily accommodate certain vehicle wraps where the graphics need to be moulded around wide curves that require stretching the vinyl. Adhesion Since UV-curable inks are mainly on top of the substrate (instead of being dissolved into the substrate), the interaction between the ink and the substrate is weaker than in case of solvent inks. As a result adhesion on certain substrates can be improved (e.g. polypropylene, polystyrene, etc.). Furthermore, effects of the UV radiation are cumulative; if an ink film is over-cured, it can become brittle and flake off. This depends on the type of substrate and the colour (see Conditions Affecting Adhesion, page 3) and is not a frequent occurrence. Outdoor durability Generally, the same pigments are used for solvent and UV-curable inks. However, the working mechanism of true solvent-based inks is that the solvent partially dissolves into the substrate so that the colorants actually mix with the media rather than lie on its surface. Thus, the pigments are better protected against light fading. In case of UV-curable inks the mechanism is different. Here the ink droplet stays on top of the substrate. While this offers the advantage of greater colour fidelity and consistency from sheet to sheet, solvent inks are generally more durable.

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Advancements in UV-curable Inks


Because of their many advantages and future potential, Agfa Graphics has chosen to concentrate its Research and Development on UV-curable inks. This commitment has given the company an edge in the quality and durability of its UV product line. There are two important reasons why Agfa Graphics is and will stay successful in UV-curable ink development: 1) the companys chemical roots provide an extensive knowledge base for advanced ink formulations, and 2) Agfa Graphics makes its own, dedicated inks, that are optimised for Agfa inkjet engines. Very few other companies can make this claim.

Low odour
The ingredients used in Agfas UV-curable inks have been specifically selected to have low toxicity for safe handling. These compounds are also selected to have very low irritants. Like all inks Agfas UV-curable inks have an odour. However, once cured all volatile ingredients are polymerized. Therefore, UV-cured products are far less pungent than solvent-based inks.

Engine compatibility
Agfas :Dotrix presses (labels, packaging and document printing), M-Press (high-speed flatbed applications) and :Anapurna wide format systems cater to a wide range of applications. Agfamade UV-curable inks achieve the highest possible quality and productivity because they are engineered to the architecture and target applications of the respective engines.

Ink Characteristics
Agfas UV-curable inkjet inks are stable, allow fast curing and are easy to handle. The excellent jetting performance and good adhesion on a wide variety of substrates enable a wide range of applications. The high image quality, vibrant colours and perfect edge sharpness combined with good outdoor light stability guarantee heavy duty industrial printing results.

Research & Development


Agfa Graphics engages in a two-pronged parallel development process. The first is concentrating on the ink formulation; the second pays strict attention to the interaction with specific printing platforms. This gives Agfa the advantage of being able to matching its inks to the demands of its inkjet engines. The ink formulations are the result of an extensive iteration process between engine and ink technicians which finally yields a dedicated ink set for each of Agfas inkjet printers and presses. During this process all ink properties are optimized: Jettability Curing properties Adhesion to wide range of substrates Durability, shelf life, etc.

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By using the highest quality pigments and advanced, state-of-the art polymeric dispersants, photo-initiators and other ink ingredients, Agfa is able to obtain the optimal ink characteristics: Largest colour gamut Sharp vibrant colours for indoor and outdoor applications Uniform gloss Good adhesion on a wide range of rigid and flexible including wood, metal and glass, as well as coated and uncoated substrates Excellent light fastness, chemical and abrasion resistance Low odour

On the Drawing Board UV-curable Inks


Because UV-curable inks are still in a development stage, improvements such as flexibility, adhesion and outdoor durability are on the horizon. Further developments will bring special inks such as unusual colours and special-effect inks. The UV-curable inks on the market today are free radical curable inks. Cationic UVcurable inks are in development by some ink companies. The cationic curing mechanism has the advantage of not being quenched by oxygen. Furthermore, these inks provide even fewer odours. However, they are sensitive to the relative humidity of the environment. Cationic UV-curable inkjet inks are in their early stages and expensive because of the advanced cationic monomers which are being used. These types of UVcurable inks are expected to be applied for niche applications.

Beyond UV
New radiation technologies will also enter the arena. An example is EB (electron-beam) curing. The energy output of the electron beam is sufficient to start the polymerisation process without the need of a photo-initiator. The price of the electron beam equipment is currently however much higher than of UV-curable equipment.

Future of Inkjet
The technological evolution towards faster printers, improved print heads, cheaper and more functional inks and media, and more advanced software will continue. This will result in a further growth of inkjet printing in the coming years at the expense of analog printing techniques. Besides graphical applications inkjet technology can also be applied for numerous other applications. Print heads will continue to become faster, more accurate, cheaper and more reliable.

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The inks will become more and more functional and can in principle be anything as long as it can be jetted through the print head. A few examples of non-graphical inkjet applications are printed electronics and displays, 3D printing as well as bio-medical (life science) applications. In the long term traditional inkjet printing applications will only be a small part of all inkjet applications.

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MUTOH ANNOUNCES AVAILABILITY OF ITS NEW BIO-LACTITE INKS


TUESDAY, 19 OCTOBER 2010 00:00 INK

- INK

Wide format inkjet printer manufacturer Mutoh Belgium nv announces immediate availability of its new Bio-Lactite inks, which were first presented at the past Fespa 2010 show in Munich, Germany. Mutohs new Bio-Lactite ink is a renewable resource based ink made from corn capable of printing on both flexible and rigid materials. Our new organic Bio-Lactite inks are the result of Mutohs ongoing commitment to develop sustainable and environmentally friendly printing solutions for both installed base Mutoh users and new users, says Arthur Vanhoutte, President of Mutohs European operations. The inks will offer print providers a sustainable print solution that will enable them to reduce the entire environmental footprint of their daily production. The new Bio-Lactite inks will enable users to explore green output on recyclable media whilst keeping the performance features of typical solvent-based inks and keeping an efficient energy consumption. The inks attractive price setting will furthermore enable printer users to reduce their cost for print figures. Last but not least, Mutohs award-winning and so far unrivalled Intelligent Interweaving print technology will avoid trial and error printing and therefore reduce media waste, Vanhoutte concludes. The new Bio-Lactite ink is compatible with Mutoh Rockhopper 3 Extreme roll printers and the Mutoh ValueJet Hybrid roll to roll and rigid printer. Available in 220 & 440 ml cassettes, 880 ml bags and in litre bottles, the inks will be marketed all over Europe, the Middle East and Africa through Mutohs authorised distributor channel. Key Characteristics of Mutoh Bio-Lactite Inks Ink Composition & Safety Aspects Mutohs Bio Lactite inks are non-petrochemical based inks. 50 % of the inks is ethyl-lactate, a component which is derived from corn. The inks do not spread any harmful VOCs (volatile organic compounds) in the working environment and therefore do not require any forced or special ventilation. Non ODP inks (non Ozone DePleting), meaning the inks do not contain products which are considered as harmful to the earth's protective ozone layer. Rapid drying; no external drying equipment is required to dry the inks. Inks are fixed and dried at regular heating temperatures. For roll printing, only 600 W is consumed during printing. Wide colour gamut with unique media gloss preservation. Low maintenance same ease of use as Mutoh Eco Ultra inks.

Unique Ink Fixation Process Selected binders contained in the Bio-Lactite inks ensure an optimized chemical interaction among the pigments and the media surface. For roll media, the ink is fixed and dried by the printers conventional integrated heating elements. For rigid media printing and for insulating roll media such as polypropylene, Mutoh proprietary rapid response heated air knives (ValueJet Hybrid only) deliver instant heating from the top, fixing and drying the ink. Multi-Purpose Ink Mutoh Bio-Lactite inks are suited for both roll and rigid printing. Unlike other green inks, the unique ink formulation of Mutoh Bio-Lactite inks, specifically tuned to piezo drop-ondemand inkjet head technology, will enable printing on a wide range of conventional solvent-compatible media. The inks will also be the obvious choice for customers demanding green output on recyclable media and for high quality direct printing on exotic media not typically intended for inkjet printing. Unrivalled media compatibility range - Uncoated rigid materials : Acrylic glass - PMMA, aluminium sandwich board, foam board, cardboard, ABS, polycarbonate - PC, polypropylene - PP, etc! Uncoated flexible substrates : Non-PVC & PVC based self-adhesive media, recyclable fibre-based paper, banner, polyethylene - PET, polypropylene - PP, etc.... Performance Suitable for indoor and outdoor applications. Suited for 3D wrap applications and for unique thermo-deformation applications. For high quality prints for close viewing distances (< 1 meter), typical production speeds of 9 m" per hour at 720 x 720 dpi can be reached on flexible substrates. For rigid substrates, speeds of 8 m"/h at 720 x 720 dpi can be reached. Outdoor durability of up to two years, without lamination. For fleet, floor graphics or other applications where prints are exposed to intensive mechanical stress or abrasion, lamination is recommended. Availability 220 ml cassettes 440 ml cassettes 880 ml bags (for ValueJet Hybrid only) 1 litre bottles (for use in combination with Mutohs bulk ink system). About Mutohs Bulk Ink System (BIS) Mutohs BIS system was developed for speed-intensive, volume oriented users that require a high-volume ink delivery and refill system. The bulk ink system can be easily mounted on top of the printer.

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Mutoh Europe introduces Bio-Lactite solvent ink to replace lackluster MuBIO ink with a completely different bio-solvent ink
It was nice to see the new Bio-Lactite bio-solvent ink in the Mutoh Europe booth at FESPA Munich in late June 2010. The earlier MuBIO ink gradually acquired a reputation for inadequate adhesion on some materials, and more embarrassing, needing lots of purging to keep printheads from clogging. The samples of Bio-Lactite look attractive and hopefully this ink adheres better. The main question, however, is how much more solvent was required to add to the chemistry to gain this better adhesion. I thought the idea of a bio-anything was to get rid of solvents, not add them.

But if MuBio ink has this many issues, why is it still being promoted in America?
MuBio ink is not even featured by its own manufacturer InkWare and VUTEk! And now MuBio ink has been replaced by Mutoh Europe. This raises the question of why is it still offered in USA? Yes, we agree that every printshop owner has the right to decide what ink to use, and if they find something good about MuBio ink, then they should use MuBio ink as much as they wish. But with all the other innovative new inks coming out, at least it is crucial that printshop owners, managers, and printer operators see what else is available. And if Mutoh itself gets rid of this ink in their new printers, might perhaps this be a tip that their new ink is better than the old ink?

Mutoh MUBIO bio-solvent ink in hybrid ValueJet 1608-64 replaces Biojet flatbed solvent ink printer with Vutek BioVu ink
During the period when Mutoh had no UV printer (2006-2007), Mutoh experimented with finding alternatives for UV-curing, especially Mutoh America. Now that Mutoh Europe has its own UV printer, the Zephyr, however, Mutoh America is still continuing with its alternative MUBIO biosolvent ink in a hybrid flatbed printer, the hybrid ValueJet 1608-64 . It turns out this is a great printer for Sepiax resin ink and for Jetbest alcohol-based ink. These inks offer several capabilities not possible with Mutoh's own bio-inks.

Mutoh hybrid ValueJet 1608-64" printer with MUBIO ink bio-solvent ink was exhibited at FESPA Digital 2008.

Bio-ink of another flavor existed before MuBIO


In 2006, when I first saw bio-ink, VUTEk had a nice brochure on their BioVu ink, but there was no brochure whatsoever on the Mutoh

Mutoh Biojet flatbed solvent ink printer

Biojet flatbed printer that was using this remarkable bio-ink in a prototype printer in the Mutoh booth. But I was sufficiently impressed that I wrote a series of articles on the potential of this ink. But then I did not see the flatbed or the ink at any trade show for a season or so, and by then UV - curing flatbeds had so thoroughly taken over the market that there was not time to keep up with each new change in the formulation of the bioink. I am curious to learn more about the MUBIO biosolvent version of BioVu ink and why the Mutoh ValueJet hybrid 1608-64 replaced the earlier Mutoh Biojet printer. It is normal for any new ink chemistry to go through many iterations. Look how long it took Eco-Solvent ink of the 2003, 2004, and 2005 formulas to reach a satisfactory result (from 2006 onward, thirdgeneration eco-solvent ink worked very nicely, as the FLAAR Reports documented from testing this ink at Mutoh Europe).

But the deciding factors will be abrasion resistance, adhesion, how bio-solvent works on cheap uncoated signage materials, and whether cleaning fluids can wipe the ink off the surface Mutoh BioJet Printing Samples of normal signage materials. Every single industry analyst that I ask about bio-solvent ink comments on the need for testing. The most important test for each new ink (all inks, not just bio-solvent) would be a basic scratch test, an alcohol wipe test, and other cleaning fluids if what you print might be exposed to cleaning fluids. If what you print will never be wiped with any liquid, then that of course helps too. A second test would be to determine whether the materials to be printed on need to be coated (inkjet coated with ink receptor layer) or whether the ink can print on any uncoated basic material. Some early solvent flatbed printers failed in the marketplace after a season or so because the range of materials they could print on adequately was only a few. I remember one solvent flatbed where I was told in the booth that it printed adequately only on one or two materials. But this was about three or four years ago and was not bio-solvent ink. Plus the biosolvent ink of 2009 is surely (hopefully) reformulated from the original experimental beta version that was first presented in 2006. Some other different inks such as Lumocolor (a water-based ink, not bio-solvent), had adhesion and abrasion issues on some surfaces if not laminated. If the new formula for MUBIO ink passes these tests, this will be a good feature. In the meantime Mutoh is featuring 3M's performance guarantee. It is unclear if the warranty is primarily for materials that are top-coated or protected with over-laminates.

Sample printed by the Mutoh hybrid ValueJet 1608-64" printer at ISA 2007.

An additional question is the viability of third-party after-market bio-solvent inks. MegaInk (Sakata INX) has launched a significant advertising campaign to announce its bio-solvent inks. Ink companies in Israel and elsewhere also offer inks with a bio label. However the same question arises: does alcohol smear some solvent inks? Does it scratch off easily with your fingernail or with a ballpoint pen? I hear totally conflicting reports. The best way to be sure is to find another printshop near you that is already using a flatbed printer, and ask them what materials the printer works best on, what material the ink wipes off. For example, there is one major brand of UVcured ink that does not adhere well on Coroplast (unless you personally pre-coat (prime) each piece of Coroplast. This same brand of UV ink flakes off the edges of Sintra if you cut or trim the Sintra. Yet this same printer is excellent for other materials and is quite popular. So every printer and every ink has its benefits on some material, and inability on other materials. If the material that you and your clients need is handled well by Brand X, Model Y printer, then by all means consider acquiring this printer. But if no one notifies you of which features to check on, you may be disappointed when your new printer arrives and a client asks for a material that your new ink is not ideal for. Fortunately ink chemistry improves every year. So an ink that smears and scratches one year, by the time the ink is improved these issues can be overcome with a new chemistry. There are progressive ink companies now in India and I have inspected the ink factory, R&D labs and facilities of an ink company in China. Indeed when I visited an end-user in Latin America that used this Chinese ink, he said that it worked better (clogged the printheads less) than the major international name brand of European ink that he used before (these are solvent, not bio-solvent, but the point is that after-market inks are becoming better). Nonetheless, many printshop owners say they prefer to stay true to the original recommended ink, especially during the first year, when the original warranty may be voided if you use an unproven ink. Staying with the original ink is especially valid for UV-cured inks, since every brand of ink reacts differently to the ink delivery system and to the printheads. The original equipment manufacturer has prepared the entire system to handle one ink as best as possible. BioWare ink in the Biojet flatbed printer was originally anticipated to be a potential competition for UV-cured flatbed inkjet printers, mild-solvent flatbed printers such as Mutoh's own LT Board Printer, and solvent-based inkjet flatbed printers that still existed in 2005. But none of these alternative solvent flatbed printers has lasted on the market long enough to evaluate it. Plus, now in 2008 through 2010 so many new flatbed inks are appearing from Europe that it is a challenge to keep up. There is an exciting new alcohol-based ink from Europe that prints on a diverse range of surfaces and materials. There is another ink, entirely water-based, a nano-dye ink, that prints on an impressive amount of materials but needs a topcoating (which is cleverly simultaneously applied by the same printer). And there are other water-based inks that print on everything that are so new that no printer yet utilizes them. So far these innovative flatbeds have been exhibited primarily in Europe, though the alcohol-based ink was displayed at SGIA '08. 2011 will be a year to watch for new flatbed technologies and completely new and different ink chemistries. It is possible that by DRUPA 2012 the flatbeds featured at that epic event may be as innovative to us then as the Sias Digital UV and PerfectaPrint Mechatron (Zund) UV printers were innovative prototypes at DRUPA 2000. But it is not suggested or recommended to wait until then; your clients need a flatbed output from your sign shop today. Your competitors across town are already installing flatbeds of various inks and technologies. Just be sure to test the specific materials that you and your clients need. The advantage of an ink which is not hazardous and has no VOCs is that some Fortune 500 companies, and some other clients prefer to find a printshop that uses ink other than full-scale heavy solvent ink. For example, during autumn 2010, two major brands, one a Fortune 500 corporate name, each independently selected Sepiax resin ink to print their advertising posters

and banners. They had the option of HP latex ink and Sepiax resin ink, and both companies selected Sepiax. Also, you can sometimes earn a higher price for ecologically friendly inks. So if a bio-solvent ink meets the local ecological needs, and if the Mutoh printer can handle the specific materials that you and your client wish, then you should test this Mutoh ValueJet Hybrid 1608-64 system. But the question still remains, if Mutoh itself has replaced MuBio ink, and if the manufacturer (InkWare) stopped featuring it after one year, it would seem that this original bio-solvent ink may indeed have deficiences that were recognized, but since so much time, PR, and money was spent promoting MuBio ink, it would be embarrassing to admit it had issues. Is this fair to printshop owners, managers, and printer operators? It should also be asked, why in the last two years has no trade magazine raised questions about an ink that seemingly is not quite as good as early PR releases were claiming. I hope that the new bio-solvent ink is indeed better in all respects. Indeed perhaps this new biosolvent ink is worthy of testing, evaluating, and reporting by the FLAAR Reports. But at present, we are very occupied with other projects and have not yet received any requests to evaluate the new Mutoh Bio-Lactite bio-solvent ink.

FLAAR Reports on mild & lite-solvent printers

Already available

Most recently updated November 23, 2010. First posted June 1, 2006. Updated April 25, 2008. Updated January 23, 2009 to keep up with all the other flatbed inks that are coming out. Updated July 2, 2010 after admission of all the things that MuBio ink is not good at.

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Sepiax Ink Technology, water-based yet for PVC, banner, mes...

http://large-format-printers.org/latex-polymer-pigmented-wate...

Sepiax Ink Technology, water-based yet for outdoor signage


In late March about two years ago HP introduced its HP latex ink at a huge international event in Israel. Then at FESPA Digital 2008 in Geneva another water-based ink was introduce d, by Sepiax, a company in Austria. So all of a sudden, eco-solvent ink had two competitors: latex ink (from HP), and an independent Sepiax water-based ink.

Here is Nicholas Hellmuth analyzing the sample from Sepiax. In this photography you can see that they used the Polyester chrome film material for this sample.

Dr. Nicholas Hellmuth holding the complete sample.

Nicholas in NUR ink lab on one of his four visits to Israel high tech companies.

Sepiax Ink Technology compared with HP latex ink


Checking their web site, weather resistant, abrasion resistant this sounds like qualities offered by the HP latex ink. I have also heard of an earlier DuPont ink that had similar qualities to latex ink (in addition to the unfortunate VinylJet ink (made by DuPont for Kodak VinylJet, but in part due to problems with Encad, this early non-solvent ink failed utterly). Since HP has spent so many millions and millions of dollars building a printer to work with the unusual requirements of the latex ink chemistry, I was naturally curious to compare the pros and cons of Sepiax Ink Technology with those of HP latex ink. One fact is that Sepiax ink is formulated for piezo printheads (naturally since virtually all current signage printers use Epson, Xaar, KonicaMinolta, or Spectra printheads. In distinction, the HP latex ink is not intended to be an after-market ink; the HP latex ink is exclusively for thermal printheads.

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Sepiax Ink Technology, water-based yet for PVC, banner, mes...


exclusively for thermal printheads.

http://large-format-printers.org/latex-polymer-pigmented-wate...

Sepiax compared with bio-solvent inks


First VUTEK InkWare produced a bio-solvent ink. Then Mutoh built a printer that used this bio-ink. Neither was successful (neither the printer nor the rst generation(s) of the ink. So then that atbed printer was replaced by a different Mutoh atbed based on the ValueJet platform. The original ink formula was not successful but after three or four generations the current MuBIO ink is better than two years ago . Plus the Mutoh ValueJet was slightly tweaked to better handle the special requirements of MuBIO ink. But both Sepiax and Kiian inks print on substantially more materials than any bio-solvent (and Sepiax is completely water-based).

New Sepiax and HP latex inks compared with Epsons new ink
The new HP latex ink and the new Sepiax ink will challenge Epson's new eco-solvent printer, GS6000. Solvent ink is gradually being replaced all over the world. Epson would have done better to have switched to an ink like Sepiax or tried to make a printer to handle Kiian of Lumocolor ink from Staedtler. But Epson policy is to not allow any outside ink to be successful with Epson printheads unless the ink company pays a hefty price to Epson. Most ink companies, naturally, refuse to be forced to pay this ink tax to Epson.

Sepiax ink compared with Kiian's alcohol-based magical ink


At SGIA 2008 there was an exhibit of samples from an ink that could print on everything. The range of samples in the Manoukian booth was impressive, but there was almost no information. The same Kiian ink, this time with a prototype printer, was exhibited at VISCOM Italy 2008. This time a brochure was available but it had no specic information on the ink: only normal specs on the modied Roland printer ( atbed, modied with heaters). This ink has no specic name, and was conspicuously absent at the large Kiian booth at FESPA 2009. In the US it is supposedly distributed by TW Graphics. But their booth at SGIA 2009 had zero information. The Kiian ink seems to have totally evaporated. What a change in one year: a huge booth at SGIA 2008 and then nothing whatsoever in 2009. The complexity of which company does which in the Manoukian Argon conglomerate makes it a challenge to know who to speak with, and where to go to test the ink. Sepiax ink company is easier to deal with. Their headquarters are in the most beautiful part of southern Austria, less than 2 hours drive from Ljubljana, Slovenia (where FLAAR does many of its lecture programs). It was possible to spend two days testing the Sepiax ink on PVC, aluminum foil and diverse other materials. This page is being updated as soon as I get more feedback from beta-testing. But sufce it to say, Sepiax ink is worth looking at. Presently it works on Epson printheads. You can use Sepiax ink in any Roland, Mutoh, or Mimaki printer: does not require any special additional heaters. The ink does not require primer or post treatment on most materials.

Sepiax Ink Technology company.

Ideally it would help to have a bit more uumph in the heaters (but you do not need a furnace as is required by latex ink). So you need to print at the high quality modes as the fast draft modes don't allow enough time to allow the water to evaporate (remember, this is not a solvent ink, and needs no curing by any UV lamp). GraphicsOne is the master distributor in the USA; a very clever coup on their part, as Sepiax ink may do better than Kiian, Staedtler Lumocolor, Magic Ink of Eastech, and other inks that have claimed to print on everything.

FLAAR interest in inks in general


I have visited the Triangle ink company US headquarters in California. I have been hosted for a week's inspection of two ink labs in Israel: NUR (before they were bought by HP) and an unrelated after-market ink company. Earlier I had been guest of Sun LLC ink in Novosibirsk, Russia. In 2008 it was possible to visit Sensient ink in Switzerland, to inspect their water-based UV-cured ink for printing on fabrics. These visits tend to be hosted as an international consultant. In 2010 I spent several days in India to learn about AT Inks and I have an appointment in Singapore with SAM Ink for later this Spring (2010). The way I learn about an ink is to visit the company and then visit end-users who actually use the ink. I look forward to visiting ink companies in Korea and Japan as soon as opportunties present themselves.

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Sepiax Ink Technology, water-based yet for PVC, banner, mes...

http://large-format-printers.org/latex-polymer-pigmented-wate...

FLAAR special interest in innovative inks that will change our world Most current FLAAR research is dedicated to UV-cured printers, inks, and related substrates. We also study textile printing and the at least ve inks that are specially made to print on fabrics. But a primary interest in recent and current years is to nd the inks that will revolutionize the inkjet printing industry. Offset, exo, and screen printing are stuck with printing processes of the past century: they will not disappear, but clearly are not expanding and much of their previous output is moving to digital in general and to inkjet in particular. UV-cured inkjet ink was in beta stage by the late 1990's and was viable several years later. Since DRUPA 2004, UV-cured inkjet printers have been king. Eco-solvent and mild-/lite-solvent ink came out after UV and also took several years before they were usable: the third generation eco-solvent ink was signicantly better and current eco-solvent ink is increasingly popular (until HP latex ink came out). Actually mild-solvent ink of Seiko is one of the most colorful, highlypigmented ink available today (and is still popular). But clearly there is a rising interest in inks that are signicantly different: less odor and more adhesion to diverse surfaces. So FLAAR has an inherent interest in new inks such as Sepiax. Mimaki, Mutoh, and Roland were caught totally unprepared for Sepiax and were still in shock from the launch of 42 and 60 latex ink printers in 2009. Plus, there are presently several additional new inks in Asia that show possible potential. So 2010 will be a good year for new inks.

FLAAR testing and evaluation of Sepiax water-based ink on uncoated DuPont Tyvek and on PVC in demo room of Sepiax Ink Technology in Austria. Karl Ebner (Sepiax), Nicholas Hellmuth, Franz Aigner (Sepiax) and Tina Kosir, University of Ljubljana, Slovenia, assisting FLAAR at FESPA and on digital imaging projects.

Challenge to more than latex ink: challenge to all UV-cured printers


The one thing that will save UV-cured atbeds is that Epson corporate politics will never allow a successful non-Epson ink to be used ofcially. Epson politics (the demand for an ink tithe for any ink that ows through an Epson printhead) has stied printer and ink development for years. This policy is short-sighted and doomed to continue to cause Epson lost revenue: ink companies either stop making their inks or switch to other printheads. If Epson had cooperated with Staedtler and worked with them to build a printer specically for the needs of that ink, then Lumocolor would still be selling Epson printhead machines today. But no, so now Epson is selling close to zero heads for that ink. A rather backward manner of doing business. Thus we hope that the Sepiax ink can be developed for KonicaMinolta, Ricoh, Xaar, and Spectra printheads in the future. Though for the rst year Sepiax ink can be used as an after-market alternative to eco-solvent since there are thousands of Roland, Mimaki, and Mutoh printers already out there. Many of these models have the specic model of Epson heads that Sepiax ink is made for (Sepiax itself can tell you specically which models of Epson printheads their inks work best with). But whichever clever printer manufacturer develops special heating and drying for Sepiax ink with Epson printheads will produce the most successful printer of 2010, one that will be still selling well for years and years (UV-cured printers have been sold now for over a decade!). Imagine how improved a Sepiax printer will be once an innovative manufacturer breaks the mold and does something more innovative than merely to produce another UV-cured printer. As more feedback comes from end-users, you can look forward to more to come from FLAAR Reports. Just realize that any new ink has surprises. FLAAR is gathering information and will have special publications on Sepiax ink and on HP latex ink during March.

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Interview with Stewart Partridge on Sepiax inks for Australia and New Zealand.
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Stewart Partridge is a well known personality in the world of inkjet inks, he made himself an excellent reputation here in Australia and New Zealand and elsewhere in the world for his many presentations he conducted under the banner of his digital consultancy, Web Consulting. Web Consulting was an international consultancy that specialised in the inkjet and graphics industries. Today he runs Qudos Digital Asia Ltd out of Shanghai, a company representing several of the worlds leading brands of inkjet ink. The company acts as Sales Management for Chimigraf, the Spanish ink manufacturer of UV curable, solvent and industrial inkjet inks; Sepiax from Austria and their aquares water based resin chemistry and then Mexar out of the UK for their water based textile inks. Stewart points out that whilst his group represents these companies in the AP region, it would be more accurate to say that he is actually employed by these companies on a contractual basis to develop their business via distributers and OEMs in AsiaPacific region. All of the business dealings for distributors are direct with the parent company, we just provide the local commercial management and technical support. We wanted to talk to Stewart about Sepiax from Austria, and the progress that this pioneering water based ink company had made to date. For the uninitiated, Sepiax aquares ink is one of the two water based inks that has achieved success in the signage industry, with HPs Latex ink being the other. Stewart points out that the success of Sepiax inks is currently limited to those printers that are using Epson DX4 and DX5 print heads. This covers several of the Roland, Mimaki and Mutoh machines, plus certain modified wide format Epson printers, and novel flatbeds developed out of Korea, China, Japan and the like. As a prelude to our interview he mentioned that he had spent considerable time and effort talking to or researching a number of potential distributors about for Sepiax Inks in Australia and New Zealand. This has led to the appointment this week of Anitech as the distributor for Australia, and the earlier selection of Blueprint Imaging as distributor for New Zealand. Anitech will launch the Sepiax ink at the forthcoming VIIE Show in Sydney. We then asked Stewart to answer some questions on Sepiax Inks. WFOL: What sort of success had the company achieved to date in the rest of the world. We know that they have just appointed an agent in the US, so it was presumably a bit premature to talk of any success over there. However Europe, being Sepiaxs home turf, one would assume you have had more success there? SP Let me first explain a bit about the background of Sepiax. The original ink was developed in an independent laboratory in Liechtenstein in approximately 2003. In 2005 that laboratory and research was majority acquired by the key investor Gernot Langes, the former President of Swarovski Group. He has invested in a collection of companies under the Gernot Langes Swarovski Group, all of which are focused upon green and environmentally-sustainable technologies. So its a cash rich investment group that has so far funded the research into Sepiax, and they are committed to turning the Company into an innovative and established name in the digital printing industry. From 2005 until 2008 the ink was still under development, and a first generation ink was launched to the market in 2008. Some customers were able to use that ink whilst others found its performance was too critical, so they worked on making an upgraded product which hit the market in only July last year. That product is the current aquares ink. The aquares product has been well received by many companies using roll to roll machines with Epson printheads (Roland DG, Mimaki, Mutoh, etc) that wish to print onto a wide variety of media, and also by companies that are wanting a high quality output and those that want a solvent-free working environment. However, the current Sepiax ink technology or more correctly to say, using the aquares ink with the current drying technology built into those standard OEM platforms is not so economic in environments where high productivity on thick vinyl, banner vinyl or SAV is required. Water based inks rely on temperature for the drying and curing, and you cant run these inks at high speed on current platforms and expect to have dry and cured inks on the finished output. If you take a media like SAV, it is a bit much to ask the pre-heaters in the printer to heat through the various layers of the media to the media surface this takes a bit of time and is impossible when using the higher speed settings of the machine. HP have overcome this by using some very high temperatures but in some cases you have instances of media

Agfa Graphics and Spandex announced today that they have signed an agreement under which Spandex will distribute the range of :Anapurna UV curable inkjet printers in Europe.
Read more...

HP have overcome this by using some very high temperatures but in some cases you have instances of media distorting, and for many applications the Latex inks still require precoated media. So, for instance, if you are doing a panelled poster and you want to butt register the images against each other, there have been cases of people having problems in doing this. Sepiax ink needs only mid- temperature requirements of up to 60OC, and it is not necessary to reach the 70-90 degrees or more that sometimes HP have to go to with no pre coated media. With Sepiax inks, you can use pre coated media but it is not necessary and tends to be a waste of money. Sepiax is also trying to keep with a maximum cure temperature around 55 degrees on the hardest to stick to, non absorbent substrates. This means that for some media to reach that temperature on faster printing settings, you might need the media under heat to be able to reach 60OC. For an absorbent substrate, we can operate around 35-50 degrees dependant on the media type. WFOL: So how big is this market for Sepiax at the moment Well with the current limitation that we are only able to use printers based upon the Epson DX4 and DX5 printheads, this gives us access to Roland, Mimaki and Mutoh machines. Among those printers, it is the end user interested in printing onto new or novel media, uncoated and low-cost media, with a green profile or a nonsmelling ink, that selects the customer type. We do not yet have a solution for high-speed production onto banner vinyl and SAV, and achieving this is dependant upon future developments in printer design and heater modules. We can access part of the signage market but as a proportion of the overall digital printing market its not the major proportion. We currently have no Sepiax product for the flatbeds and the big grand format machines from companies like HP Scitex, Durst, Agfa (inc Gandi), etc. Sepiax is however working on a higher-viscosity variant of the aquares ink that will work on other print heads that are tolerant to water based inks, for example, the Konica, Seiko (WB) and Spectra Nova, Kyocera and Panasonic print heads. However, Xaar heads cannot currently accommodate water based inks. Its not possible to say when these new formulae will become available. What I can say is that the technology has to be remodelled in order for us to achieve this. Its not simply a case of making the existing ink thicker or just changing viscosity, you have to change a lot of parameters of the ink to make it work under the totally different droplet size and print conditions. However we should know a lot more in a few months as we will have some trial inks going through those print heads and we should know then just how big the problems are to take this next step. Today, we are doing well with the Epson print head machines, the business is growing as fast as the existing infrastructure can produce the ink. The company only has 25 employees at present, so there are limits on capacity for production, training of distributors and even end users. Having a strong investor, however, means that we can ramp-up the business to the next productivity level at relatively short notice. The company is growing at a steady pace and there are many other markets for us to tap into, for instance packaging, industrial labelling, IMD, industrial graphics. In many of these applications, water based inks are far more preferable to solvent based inks. Another area where we are getting a lot of interest is from companies that design and manufacture small flatbed machines based upon Epson print head technology. A lot of these machines can be adapted to take this ink, and then users can print on uncoated glass, uncoated stainless steel and uncoated aluminium, plus a whole variety of other substrates. We have found recently, that by post-fixing the inks for 10 mins at 200OC, we can get exceptional adhesion and toughness on glass, in fact better adhesion than UV-curable inks. WFOL: What about textiles? Yes, we can print onto uncoated polyester and Tyvek and a wide range of other uncoated fabrics. However what you dont get out of this ink is wash resistance. So it is unsuitable for garment printing, home furnishings or any other application where the end product would be washed in hot water and strong detergents. You can cold water wash the end product with minimal detergents but not with hot water. If customers want washability, they need a specially-formulated textile ink like the Mexar ink. But Sepiax ink is suitable for internal fabric banners, etc. Actually, tests in Europe have shown that when the ink is printed onto flameproof substrates like Trevira, the flameproof properties are maintained, and this is proving a good selling point for indoor retail banners. WFOL: Do you have anybody using the ink in Australia or New Zealand at this stage? SP: Yes, there are users in New Zealand, but we are just about to launch through Anitech in Australia. However, I should explain that this is not a plug and play ink. The conversion of the printer from solvent ink to water-based is critical, and the ink prints and behaves in a different way to solvent inks. There is a learning process. Rather than thinking of Sepiax aquares as a replacement ink for solvent printers, it is better to think of it as the start of a new ink technology family as different from solvent, as solvent is from UV-curable. And in the same way, the fuller benefits of this technology and faster production speeds will only be realised when one or more serious OEMs get involved in developing a printer specifically for this ink. Australia and New Zealand are very important markets in Asia for us. They are high quality markets, which is exactly where we want to be with these inks. In many cases users are quite environmentally sensitive and want to do some quite innovative things with the expanded media range that we can offer. I think the more creative people in the industry are going to find this very interesting. WFOL: Are you supplying profiles with the inks? SP: I am afraid we are not at the moment. The intention is to do that but at this moment in time we are not, in Austria, set up enough with enough technicians, RIP technologies and time on the printing machines to be able to generate those. The plan is certainly to start to do that in the future. We hope to work with our distributors and help them to do this and generate some information exchange. It will be a few months before we can devote enough resources. WFOL: Regarding colour gamuts available from your inks vs the OEM inks. Our colour gamut is very good. Let me say a few things here. It is not an exact colour match of the OEM inks. If you get the linearization/ink limitation, grey balance and profiling right you can have a very wide colour gamut out of the ink. Let me give you an example of some of the characteristics you see. With a normal eco solvent ink, you typically have to optimise the machine to print at 90 or 95% ink limitation to get the right sort of saturated colours. With the Sepiax ink, because it has a much higher pigmentation level and thats quite deliberate you will find on a SAV for instance, you may set the ink limitation to 70% instead of 95% But if you are printing on something like uncoated Yupo Polypropylene you may be setting it at 25 or 30% ink limitation to get the same colour density as you would with a normal eco solvent ink. With a coated Yupo, you

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ink limitation to get the same colour density as you would with a normal eco solvent ink. With a coated Yupo, you may be using up to 95% to get that same density. WFOL: So this means that it becomes far more economical to use the Sepiax inks. SP: The pricing of Sepiax inks is very similar to the OEM inks, but they are cheaper in the actual production environment. In addition, because you dont need the expensive coated media, the overall savings are extensive. Invariably it is quite a shock for many printers to realise that the ink consumption is so low whilst actually achieving, in many cases, a higher image density result. WFOL: Are you selling the inks in cartridges or only as bulk ink? SP: Both, but our longer term goal is to sell primarily in chipped cartridges. We are not looking to knock down pricing in the market, our goal is to make printing far more economical via other routes such as reducing media costs, broadening the range of media and of course reducing ink consumption. WFOL: What is your opinion on the OEMs developing their own water based inks, surely they are not standing by and letting Latex and Sepiax take over the market? SP: Firstly you have to understand that most of the OEMs do not do their own ink development, their inks are developed by specialist ink companies who are then under contract to supply the OEMs. It is fair to say that the ink manufacturing companies have a strong interest in this type of technology. There has been some experimentation by some of the major players but with little success thus far. For example, you must know that one of the major manufacturers has put a lot of effort into creating a bio ink, which as you may also know has not been particularly successful because printers report that it is not as stable and reliable in the printhead as normal or eco solvent inks. But perhaps worse is that the fundamental concept behind bio-inks is a myth. Firstly, it takes a considerable amount of energy, after fermentation of the biomass, to remove water and concentrate the ethanol solvent. This means that bio fuels and bio solvents are not even close to carbon-neutral. However, the other problem with bioinks is that when the solvent evaporates, we are not putting CO2 (carbon dioxide) back into the atmosphere. We are emitting ethanol solvent vapour. And ethanol as a vapour is a much stronger greenhouse gas than CO2. Ironically, so called bio-inks are not particularly environmentally friendly. Its just another example in my book of greenwashing, rather than solving the real problem. But getting back to your question, I do think that a lot of research by these ink manufacturing companies is taking place. I think you have to understand the difficulties though. Its taken Sepiax seven years to get from a starting point to where they are now. HP have wanted to do something like this for a long time and have only now come to market with a product that has to superheat the media and still needs some pre coated media. The point is that for any new entrant starting development now or even a couple of years ago, it is going to take them a long time before any viable product reaches the market. Due to various patents that have been granted to Sepiax and HP, any new entrants cannot reverse engineer these inks, so they will have to come up with new technology. The problem for us all is that water is far more difficult to evaporate than solvents. It takes a lot of heat and energy to get rid of the water. So I think alongside the ink developments we will see more development in the heating systems which can rapidly raise the temperature of the substrate to where it needs to be without over heating it and which provide a constant temperature across the heater bar, rather than a 5-8 degree fall-off at the edges, as with most current machines. Its important to understand that not all of the development has to come from the ink manufacturers; it doesnt. For Sepiax inks to move to the next level of higher production speeds, there is going to have to be more development by the OEMs. We envisage partnering with interested parties. WFOL: So we are many years away from doing away with solvents and eco solvents and having water based inks as the market leading technology. SP: I think so. If you look at the time it has taken for UV technology to get where it is now, the technology was introduced about 1998/9, so it has taken over ten years for that technology to become as popular as it has. With water based inks, it may take less time due to the environmental pressures that are on individuals, companies and countries. So maybe a bit less for water based inks, maybe six or seven years. I would anticipate that after that period we will see UV taking over certain applications and water based technology taking over other applications with solvent technology gradually disappearing. This will happen perhaps surprisingly even in countries like China, as their environmental awareness in the big cities is growing at a rapid rate. WFOL: Is it fair to say then that if developments have to take place with the machinery, then perhaps also with the media? SP: Not to the same degree. Sepiax have been very fortunate in that it already works with just about any uncoated media. However let me take an example here with SAV. In central Europe for instance, SAV is not popular because it is difficult to dispose of. It cant be incinerated with other waste in a power plant since burnt SAV will generate chlorine gas or phosgene gas which are very toxic, and a minor bi product can be dioxins which are lethal. So basically you have to separate out all of the PVC waste before the rest is incinerated. This is a costly process. If you move to other organic materials that are non-PVC, and coat those with a self adhesive layer and produce a laminate, there are today very few inks that will actually stick to such materials. It is one of the attractions of PVC in that it is easy to get a solvent ink or a UV ink to stick to it. With the Sepiax technology, it will stick to most flexible polymers, and much else besides. WFOL: How do Sepiax inks compare with outdoor life and scratch resistance. SP: First of all Sepiax inks are not necessarily targeting the outdoor market. However the printed product will be durable in the outdoor market in a very similar way that the eco solvents inks are at present. WFOL: So you are not comparing Sepiax with solvent inks, only eco solvents? SP: Yes. An eco solvent print would be typically guaranteed for about 2 years, Sepiax inks can offer a similar

SP: Yes. An eco solvent print would be typically guaranteed for about 2 years, Sepiax inks can offer a similar outdoor life. WFOL: And scratch resistance? SP: Scratch resistance is good, probably slightly better than eco-solvent. However, let me put a qualifier on that. If you produce a vehicle wrap today using eco solvents inks, you would probably laminate that print to protect the eco-solvent ink. You would do the same with Sepiax inks. WFOL: Is there anything else you would like to add. SP: Not really. Only perhaps that the market needs to understand that this is an early generation of an ink that has many existing applications today with an expanded range of media for a huge variety of new applications at different price points. But it is not yet a high productivity system for heavy media, it is not a 10-20 metre per hour production process yet for SAV or any other thick vinyl. I wouldnt say that you are forced to run the machines at a very slow speed either, it all depends on the thickness of the media and the heaters ability to get the heat through to the ink receptive layer. As the heater technology develops, we will be able to increase print speeds step-by-step. Sepiax Inks www.sepiax.com Anitech www.anitech.com.au

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HP Latex Printing Technologies: 2010

Ink Composition .......................................................................................................... 3 Image Formation Process .............................................................................................. 4 Performance................................................................................................................ 6 HP Latex Ink Cartridges ................................................................................................ 7 HP Large-format Printing Materials for HP Latex Inks ......................................................... 8 HP Surface Treatment Technology .................................................................................. 9 For more information .................................................................................................. 10

HP Latex Inks are pigmented, water-based inks designed for commercial and industrial printing applications. Used in the HP Designjet L25500, HP Scitex LX6001, and HP Scitex LX800 Printers, they are ideal for wide and super-wide applications, including event banners, transit signage, and other outdoor applications as well as high-quality indoor signage. HP Latex Inks produce vivid, durable prints and are compatible with most low-cost, eco-solvent/low-solvent compatible media in addition to a variety of uncoated media. HP Latex Inks use HPs innovative aqueous-dispersed polymer (Latex) technology to provide print durability and display permanence comparable to eco-solvent inks2 and low-solvent inks3 and their water-based formulation reduces the impact of printing on the environment and enables an improved printing environment. From durable outdoor signage to odorless indoor displays4, HP Latex Inks provide broad media versatility across both coated and uncoated media while enabling high-speed, high-productivity printing. And the HP large-format media portfolio5 developed and tested with HP Latex Inks includes seven (7) recyclable substrates and five (5) that are covered by the HP Large-format Media take-back program.6 HP Designjet L25500, HP Scitex LX600, and HP Scitex LX800 Printers use internal radiant heaters and forced airflow to cure HP Latex Inks and produce dry prints inside the printer. Job production is streamlined and overall productivity is improved because prints are dry out of the printer and ready to display, finish, or prepare for shipment. There is no interruption in workflow by waiting for prints to dry, and additional floor space and production steps are not required for passing prints through an external print dryer or for air-drying prints. Prints can be laminated immediately using cold, hot, or liquid processes.7 HP Surface Treatment Technology allows both HP Latex Inks and HP low-solvent inks to produce durable prints with sharp, vivid image quality on recyclable, HDPE-based materials8 that typically do not provide good results with aqueous and solvent inks. HP Latex Inks were developed with HP Thermal Inkjet printheads in six-color9 writing systems that provide high quality at high productivity without requiring daily manual cleaning of printheads10 or service calls for printhead replacement. Printheads in the HP Designjet L25500, HP Scitex LX600, and HP Scitex LX800 Printers are userreplaceable using a simple snap-out/snap-in process that eliminates the need for tools, handling ink tubes, and the time and expense of a service call. The HP Designjet L25500 Printer uses three pairs of HP 789 Designjet Printheads in HP Double Swath Technology to print a 1.7-inch (43-mm) swath.11 The HP Designjet L25500 Printer can produce up to

The HP Scitex LX600 Printer was formerly called the HP Designjet L65500 Printer. For the HP Designjet L25500 Printer, HP image permanence and scratch, smudge, and water resistance estimates by HP Image Permanence Lab. Outdoor display permanence tested according to SAE J2527 using HP Latex and eco-solvent ink on a range of media, including HP media; in a vertical display orientation in simulated nominal outdoor display conditions for select high and low climates, including exposure to direct sunlight and water; performance may vary as environmental conditions change. Scratch, smudge, and water resistance tested using HP Latex and eco-solvent inks on a wide range of media, including HP media; water resistance is comparable when printed on water-resistant substrates. Laminated display permanence using GBC clear gloss 1.7 mil hot laminate. Results may vary based on specific media performance and scratch testing methodology. For more information, see www.hp.com/go/supplies/printpermanence. 3 For example, low-solvent inks are HP 780 inks used in the HP Designjet 9000s and 10000s Printers and HP 790 inks used in the HP Designjet 8000sr Printer. For the HP Scitex LX600 and LX800 Printers, HP image permanence and scratch, smudge, and water resistance estimates by HP Image Permanence Lab. Display permanence tested according to SAE J2527 using HP Latex and low-solvent inks on a range of media, including HP media; in a vertical display orientation in simulated nominal outdoor display conditions for select high and low climates, including exposure to direct sunlight and water; performance may vary as environmental conditions change. Scratch, smudge, and water resistance tested using HP Latex and low-solvent inks on a wide range of HP media; water resistance is comparable when printed on water-resistant substrates. Laminated display permanence using Neschen Solvoprint Performance Clear 80 laminate. Results may vary based on specific media performance and scratch testing methodology. For more information, see www.hp.com/go/supplies/printpermanence. 4 Printers using HP Latex Inks use internal heaters to dry and cure the latex polymer film. Some substrates may have inherent odor. 5 Visit www.hp.com/go/lfprinting/materials-supplies for a description of HP large-format printing materials including availability in roll widths and lengths. 6 HP offers the HP Large-format Media take-back program in the U.S. and Europe, through which most HP recyclable signage media can be returned, availability varies. Some recyclable papers can be recycled through commonly available recycling programs. For details visit www.hp.com/go/recycle. Aside from this program, recycling opportunities for these products are currently only available in limited areas. Customers should consult local recycling resources for recycling these products. 7 Lamination compatibility is highly dependent on the printing material. HP recommends testing lamination performance prior to any important job. 8 High Density Polyethylene (HDPE) materials include HP HDPE Reinforced Banner and HP DuPont Tyvek Banner. Recycling opportunities are currently available only in limited areas. Customers should consult their local recycling resources. 9 Ink colors include cyan, light cyan, magenta, light magenta, yellow, and black. 10 HP Designjet and HP Scitex printers using HP Latex Inks employ fully automatic printhead testing and maintenance systems. 11 For more information, see the TechNotable on the HP Designjet L25500 Printer at www.hp.com/go/hp_latex_printing_technologies
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246ft2/hr (22.8 m2/hr) in 4-pass bi-directional (bi-di) mode, up to 97ft2/hr (9.0 m2/hr) in 10-pass bi-di mode, and up to 81 ft2/hr (7.6 m2/hr) in 12-pass bi-di mode.12,13 The HP Scitex LX600 and LX800 Printers can produce dry, ready-to-use, billboard-quality prints for outdoor use at up to 79 m2/hr (846 ft2/hr) and 88 m2/hr (947 ft2/hr), respectively, in 2-pass unidirectional mode. Indoor, high-quality prints can be produced in a 6-pass, bi-di print mode up to 39 m2/hr (418 ft2/hr) and 45 m2/hr (484 ft2/hr), respectively.13 The printers feature automatic printhead testing and servicing systems to reduce manual maintenance and enable reliable unattended printing. No daily, time-consuming manual cleaning of printheads and printhead caps and wipers10 means less maintenance and more printer uptime. With the userreplaceable HP Scitex LX600 Maintenance Kit, automated servicing replaces daily manual cleaning with swabs and organic fluids to reduce the environmental impact of printing and save time spent in printer maintenance. Used HP LX600 Scitex Printheads,14 HP 789 Designjet Printheads, and HP 789 Latex Designjet Ink Cartridges may be returned through the HP Planet Partners program for free and convenient recycling.15

HPs proprietary Optical Media Advance Sensor (OMAS) provides accurate media advance over the longer print swaths used in the HP Designjet L25500 and HP Scitex LX600 and LX800 Printers. Because OMAS provides direct measurement of media motion, it is not affected by mechanical tolerances in the media drive system and changes in media thickness, stiffness, and coefficient of friction. This means consistent quality in images, area fills, and graphics over a wide range of temperature and humidity conditions, and dependable performance over the life of the printer in production printing environments. OMAS works on the full HP largeformat printing materials portfolio for HP Designjet L25500 and HP Scitex LX600 and LX800 Printers.16

Ink Composition
HP Latex Inks are water-based and offer important advantages over eco--solvent/low-solvent inks used in commercial and industrial inkjet printing. No special workplace ventilation is required17 to use the HP Designjet L25500 and HP Scitex LX600 and LX800 Printers. HP Latex Inks create an improved printing environment because they do not require special handling, contain no materials requiring hazard warning labels, and are non-flammable and non-combustible.18 In the European Union (EU)widely recognized as having the most comprehensive set of labeling guidelines in the worldHP Latex Inks do not require hazard warning labels in accordance with EU Directive 1999/45/EC. HP Latex Inks do not produce ozone emissions during printing and contain no HAPs (hazardous air pollutants)19 or sensitizers. HP Latex Inks on HP PVC-free Wall Paper offer odorless4 indoor wall decorations that meet the GREENGUARD criteria for low emitting products.20 HP Latex Inks also meet the chemical requirements of the Nordic Ecolabel (Nordic Swan) for printing companies. HP Latex Inks consist of a liquid ink vehicle that carries latex polymer and pigment particles to the surface of the print media. Physical and chemical properties of the ink vehicle are critical both for drop ejection performance
Printed in a 60-in printer, full width plot (60x60in), using HP Permanent Gloss Adhesive Vinyl. Printer used Onyx RIP 7.3. Printers using HP Latex Inks use internal heaters to dry and cure the latex polymer film. These printheads were formerly known as HP 786 Designjet Printheads. HP 786 Designjet Printheads as well as HP LX600 Scitex Printheads may be used in HP Designjet L65500 and HP Scitex LX600 and LX800 Printers. 15 In the circa 45 countries and territories in which the HP Planet Partners program operates. Program features and availability varies. Where this program is not available, and for other consumables not included in the program, consult the Material Safety Data Sheet (MSDS) available at www.hp.com/go/ecodata to determine appropriate disposal. 16 See the User Guide for details. 17 Special ventilation is not required to meet US OSHA requirements on occupational exposure to VOCs from HP Latex Inks. Special ventilation equipment installation is at the discretion of the customerno specific HP recommendation is intended. Customers should consult state and local requirements and regulations. 18 HP water-based Latex Inks are not classified as flammable or combustible liquids under the USDOT or international transportation regulations. These materials have been tested per the Pensky-Martins Closed Cup Method and the flash point is greater than 110 deg C. 19 No ozone products expected based on ink composition and printing technology. The inks were tested for Hazardous Air Pollutants per U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Method 311 (testing conducted in 2008) and none were detected. HAPs are air pollutants which are not covered by ambient air quality standards but which, as defined in the Clean Air Act, may present a threat of adverse human health effects or adverse environmental effects. 20 HP PVC-free Wall Paper printed using HP Latex Inks is listed in the GREENGUARD product listing for low emitting products and is tested to the GREENGUARD standards. This paper is not GREENGUARD Certified. The GREENGUARD Environmental Institute is an American National Standards Institute (ANSI) authorized standards developer that establishes acceptable indoor air standards for indoor products, environments, and buildings. See www.greenguard.org.
12 13 14

and control of ink-media interactions. These properties are obtained by formulating the ink vehicle with a combination of water (up to 66% by weight), wetting agent and humectant (less than 30% by weight), and additives. High water content gives HP Latex Inks the high surface tension and low viscosity that are ideal for use in HP Thermal Inkjet printheads. As the major component of HP Latex Inks, water offers important benefits to commercial and industrial production environments: water produces no VOCs, requires no special handling, and is non-toxic, non-flammable, and non-combustible. Water alone is not a practical ink vehicle for printing on the wide variety of media used in commercial and industrial applications: wetting agents, humectants, and additives must be added to obtain the required performance characteristics. The wetting agent and humectant in HP Latex Inks are similar in type and concentration to wetting agents and humectants used in HPs water-based Designjet inks, which are used in office-like environments. Wetting agents, humectants, and additives play an important role in drop ejection and ink-media interactions. They lower surface tension to wet the internal surfaces of the drop generators to keep them primed with ink and ready to print. They keep the surface of the thermal inkjet heater resistor and orifice plate clean for consistent drop ejection performance, minimize viscous plugs in the nozzles that can cause missing or misdirected drops, and affect how the ink droplet wets the surface of the print media to control dot formation. The wetting agent and humectant soften uncoated vinyl for better adhesion to the latex polymer film, and they evaporate in the printer to produce a completely dry and odorless4 print that can be immediately handled, finished, shipped, or displayed indoors. A key innovation in HP Latex Inks is the incorporation of latex polymer particles. Latex is a term that describes a stable, aqueous dispersion of microscopic polymer particles. It is important not to confuse the polymers used in HP Latex Inks with those found in natural materials, such as latex rubber. While some individuals experience skin irritation from contact with natural latex compounds, the synthetic polymers used in HP Latex Inks are nonallergenic. Inside the HP Designjet L25500 and HP Scitex LX600 and LX800 Printers, a liquid film of HP Latex Ink on the print media is exposed to radiant heaters and airflow in the Print Zone and Curing Zone. No connection to special ventilation equipment,16 such as a vapor extraction or air purification system, is required. This process evaporates the ink vehicle and causes the latex polymer particles to coalesce forming a continuous polymer layer that adheres to print media and encapsulates the pigment to form a durable colorant film. Some inkjet printers use in-line high-speed dryers or off-line print storage to evaporate ink solvents from the print before finishing, shipment, or display. Drying prints helps to minimize the release of objectionable solvent odors at the point of display. But, completely drying solvent-ink prints in the print shop releases additional VOCs into the work area, and this process may require special ventilation to meet occupational exposure requirements.

Image Formation Process


The image formation process for HP Latex Inks in the HP Designjet L25500 and HP Scitex LX600 and LX800 Printers is described in more detail in Figures 1 through 3. Figure 1 shows a schematic drawing (not to scale) of a liquid film of HP Latex Ink in the Print Zone on the surface of nonabsorbent media, such as uncoated vinyl. The Print Zone is the region of the printer platen where ink drops are jetted onto the print media, and it is located immediately under the scanning printheads. The liquid film is created from an ink droplet after wetting agent, humectant, and additives in the ink vehicle aid in wetting the surface to allow the drop to spread. The layer is composed of a mixture of ink vehicle, latex polymer particles, and pigment particles. In Figure 2, radiant heaters and forced air in the Print Zone and Curing Zone evaporate the ink vehicle and cure the latex film. These heating elements are designed to last for the life of the printer.

Figure 1. Liquid Film of HP Latex Ink on the Surface of Print Media Before Drying and Curing Processes (Schematic representation not to scale)

Figure 2a shows the effect of the Print Zone Heater. In the Print Zone, radiant heat and forced airflow evaporates most of the water and the liquid film condenses to a viscous mixture of wetting agent and humectant, latex polymer particles, and pigment particles. The wetting agent and humectant have been concentrated, and now begin to soften the vinyl surface to prepare it for chemical interaction with the latex polymers.21 High viscosity in the ink film now immobilizes the polymers and colorant to set the dot size and to minimize coalescence and bleed with dots in neighboring print locations. In Figure 2b, the printed media has been advanced out of the Print Zone into the Curing Zone. Here, a second dryer evaporates the wetting agent and humectant. The latex polymer particles now coalesce into a continuous polymer film that encapsulates the pigments. This process of film formation is called curing, and it occurs during and after the wetting agent and humectant evaporate (drying). The dense film of latex particles now chemically bonds to the softened vinyl surface.
Figure 2. HP Latex Ink Curing Process: (a) Print Zone Heating; (b) Curing Zone Heating

(a)

(b)

In Figure 3, a continuous latex film encapsulating the pigments has formed on the vinyl surface as the print leaves the Curing Zone. No additional drying of the print is needed because virtually all of the ink vehicle has evaporated. An external print dryer is not needed, and production workflow is improved because prints come out of the printer ready to use, finish (e.g., trim, weld, or laminate), or prepare for shipment.

21 This chemical interaction occurs between the surface (molecules) of the media and so-called functional groups (of atoms) placed on the outside of the latex polymer chain during the production of these polymers. These functional groups give the latex polymer some of its chemical properties, for example the ability to bond to other materials such as polyvinyl chloride (vinyl).

Figure 3. Cured Film of HP Latex Ink

Performance
Durability and display permanence are two important characteristics for prints produced for commercial and industrial applications. Durability is characterized by a prints scratch-, smudge-, and water-resistance. Display permanence is a measure of how long prints will last on outdoor and indoor display. HP Latex Inks in the HP Designjet L25500 and HP Scitex LX600 and LX800 Printers produce durable, highquality output on a range of media, and achieve outdoor display permanence up to 3 years unlaminated and up to 5 years laminated.2,3 Indoor prints achieve in-window display permanence up to 5 years unlaminated and up to 10 years laminated on a range of media.22 In addition, prints offer display permanence and scratch, smudge, and water resistance (on water-resistant media) comparable to eco-solvent inks.2 Dry, ready-to-use prints made on vinyl with the HP Designjet L25500 and HP Scitex LX600 and LX800 Printers and HP Latex Inks can be laminated immediately using cold, hot, and liquid lamination methods.23 Prints made with HP Latex Inks may be welded together to make panels using methods appropriate to the particular substrate (e.g., vinyl). When used in a 6-color printing system including cyan, light cyan, magenta, light magenta, yellow, and black inks, HP Latex Inks in the HP Designjet L25500 Printer produce a color gamut on Avery MPI 3000 vinyl as seen by the colored line in Figure 4 24. The gamut from a Roland SolJet Pro III printer using eco-solvent (ECO-SOL MAX) inks is shown in gray for comparison. The gamuts are projected onto the a-b plane of the CIELab color space. The gamut volume for the HP Designjet L25500 Printer using HP Latex Inks on Avery MPI 3000 vinyl was computed to be 608,514 cubic CIELab units, about 1% larger than the gamut for the Roland SolJet Pro III printer using ECO-SOL MAX inks.

Interior in-window display ratings by HP Image Permanence Lab on a range of media including HP media. HP in-window predictions based on test data under Xenon-Arc illuminant. Calculation assumes 6000 Lux/12 hr day. Laminated display permanence for Latex/low-solvent comparison using Neschen Solvoprint Performance Clear 80 laminate; for Latex/eco-solvent comparison using GBC clear gloss 1.7 mil hot laminate. For more information, see www.hp.com/go/supplies/printpermanence 23 Lamination compatibility is highly dependent on the printing material. HP recommends testing lamination performance prior to any important job. 24 Based on HP Imaging and Color Lab color gamut measurements. The Designjet L25500 Printer used a Colorgate RIP.
22

Figure 4. CIELab Color Gamuts on Avery MPI 3000 vinyl, a-b plane. 6-color printing systems. HP Designjet L25500 Printer using HP Latex Inks, Roland SolJet Pro III printer using eco-solvent (ECO-SOL MAX) inks.

HP Latex Ink Cartridges


HP developed the HP LX600 Latex Scitex Ink Cartridge25 with an innovative design for use in HP Scitex LX600 and LX800 Printers. Its construction reduces material use and includes a recyclable cardboard container accounting for approximately 70 percent of the weight of the used ink cartridge.26 An internal cardboard component (Tray) is also made of recyclable cardboard. This cartridge supplies 3-liters of ink. It is shown schematically with its internal components in Figure 5.
Figure 5. HP LX600 Latex Scitex Ink Cartridge Exploded View Showing Internal Components

A collapsible Ink Bag inside the box contains the ink and provides vapor and air barriers to minimize changes in ink composition during shipping, storage, and use. A Cap with a Septum Assembly is attached to the Spout

25 HP LX600 Latex Scitex Ink Cartridges were formerly known as HP 786 Designjet Ink Cartridges. HP Latex Inks in both HP 786 ink cartridges and HP LX600 ink cartridges are compatible with the HP Designjet L65500 Printer. HP Latex Inks in HP LX600 ink cartridges are also compatible with HP Scitex LX600 and LX800 Printers. 26 Consult with your local authority to determine the appropriate method of waste disposal for the non-hazardous ink bag, aerosol filters, and wet wipe.

on the Ink Bag. The septum is a valve that opens when the ink cartridge is connected to the printers ink delivery system. A Dust Cap keeps the septum clean during shipping and storage. An Integrated Circuit makes electrical contacts with the printer when the ink cartridge is installed. Bi-directional communication with the printer provides information about the status of the ink cartridge including type of ink, ink color, and remaining ink quantity. It also identifies the cartridge to the printer as an Original HP ink cartridge. The ink cartridge features high ink utilization: as ink is extracted, the ink bag is designed to collapse in a way that maximizes the amount of usable ink that can be delivered. Used in the HP Designjet L25500 Printer, HP 789 Latex Designjet Ink Cartridges are similar in design to cartridges used in the HP Designjet Z2100, Z3200, and Z6100 Printers. Ink is contained in a metalized plastic bag within a plastic shell, and each ink cartridge supplies 775-ml of HP Latex Ink. These high-volume ink cartridges offer a low intervention rate and allow unattended and overnight printing with the HP Designjet L25500 Printer. Used HP 789 Latex Designjet Ink Cartridges may be returned through the HP Planet Partners program for free and convenient recycling.14 HP 789 Latex Designjet Ink Cartridges are color-coded for each ink color and use a mechanical key that prevents inserting a cartridge into the wrong slot. An integrated circuit on each cartridge identifies the cartridge as an Original HP ink cartridge to the printer, reports ink manufacturing date for reliability and image quality, and keeps track of ink quantity remaining. Partially-used cartridges can be removed and replaced with full ones for overnight, unattended printing, then reinstalled later to use the remaining ink.27

HP Large-format Printing Materials for HP Latex Inks


HP Latex Printing Technologies meet the needs of a broad range of applications requiring high-quality, flexible, outdoor and indoor displays. These include POP posters, exhibition/event graphics, light boxes, outdoor and event banners, vehicle wraps and fleet marketing, wall murals, and prints made on non-stretchable polyester fabrics. HP Latex Inks achieve the optimum in high-quality and consistent performance on HP large-format printing materials, which have been designed and tested together with HP Latex Inks. HPs portfolio of large-format printing materials for the HP Designjet L25500 and HP Scitex LX600 and LX800 Printers include both outdoor and indoor substrates and ranges from low-cost, uncoated media to a selection of banner, self-adhesive, fabric, paper, and specialty options:
Banners HP Durable Frontlit Scrim Banner HP Outdoor Frontlit Scrim Banner HP HDPE Reinforced Banner Self-adhesives HP Permanent Gloss Adhesive Vinyl HP Permanent Matte Adhesive Vinyl HP One-view Perforated Adhesive Window Vinyl HP Air Release Adhesive Gloss Cast Vinyl Paper HP Blue Back Billboard Paper HP Photo-realistic Poster Paper HP White Satin Poster Paper HP PVC-free Wall Paper Specialty HP Satin Canvas HP DuPont Tyvek Banner

Fabric HP Wrinkle-free Flag with Liner HP Heavy Textile Banner HP Light Textile Display Banner

HP large-format printing materials designed specifically for HP Latex Printing Technologies include seven (7) recyclable6 substrates: HP HDPE Reinforced Banner, HP DuPont Tyvek Banner, HP Heavy Textile Banner, HP Light Textile Display Banner, and HP Wrinkle-free Flag with linerall of which can be returned through the HP Large-format Media take-back program for large-format printing materials.6 HP Photo-realistic Poster Paper and HP White Satin Poster Paper can be recycled through commonly available recycling programs. For more information about the HP Large-format Media take-back program, see www.hp.com/recycle.
27

HP recommends storing partially-used cartridges in the same orientation as they sit in the printer.

Many third-party media companies, including 3M, Avery Dennison, Neschen, Ultraflex, Verseidag, and others are working with HP to validate their range of products with HP Latex Inks and the HP Designjet L25500 and HP Scitex LX600 and LX800 Printers. Full details of media types tested and their suppliers can be found on HP Designjet Solution web pages at www.hp.com/go/L25500/solutions and at www.hp.com/go/scitexLX600 and www.hp.com/go/scitexLX800.

HP Surface Treatment Technology


High Density Polyethylene (HDPE) fibers are used in the production of Tyvek. HDPE has many desirable physical properties: it has high tensile strength and is lightweight, it is durable outdoors, and it is recyclable8. HDPE is also resistant to many solvents, and this feature gives HDPE widespread use in packaging for food and chemicals. But, it is this solvent-resistance that poses an issue for image quality and print durability. When printing HDPE materials with aqueous and low-solvent inks,28 the ink vehicle cannot soften or dissolve the surface. Therefore, no interface layer forms between the substrate and the colorant layer to give good adhesion and print durability. Tyvek is formed from HDPE fibers fused together under heat and pressure. The surface of a Tyvek sheet is a matrix of randomly-oriented fibers with large, open pores. Pigments can be carried deep into the fiber matrix when ink penetrates the surface of untreated Tyvek. When this happens, a print may have high color bleed and feathering, low edge sharpness, low color saturation, reduced color gamut, and low optical density. To improve imaging characteristics of HDPE, HP developed a polymer-based, proprietary surface treatment technology for HDPE-based materials. This surface treatment offers both sharp, vivid image quality and print durability when using either HP Latex Inks or HP low-solvent inks. On HDPE materials processed with HP Surface Treatment Technology, HP Latex Inks and HP low-solvent inks wet and dissolve the polymers to leave an integrated colorant film after the ink vehicle evaporates. Pigments are encapsulated into the polymers to achieve improved image durability, color saturation and color gamut, and edge sharpness. Figure 6 shows scanned images of HP DuPont Tyvek Banner samples with and without HP Surface Treatment Technology. Samples were printed with HP Latex Inks and HP low-solvent inks and scanned. On the left, untreated Tyvek is shown printed with both types of ink. The prints have low color saturation and low optical density.
Figure 6. HP Latex Inks and HP low-solvent inks on HP DuPont Tyvek Banner: Untreated (left) and Treated with HP Surface Treatment Technology (right)

The print samples on the right are made on HP DuPont Tyvek Banner with HP Surface Treatment Technology. Colors are seen to be vivid and saturated with much higher optical density.
28

For example, low-solvent inks are HP 780 and HP 790 Inks used in HP Designjet 8000sr, 9000s, and 10000s Printers.

HP Surface Treatment Technology is currently available on HDPE Reinforced Banner and HP DuPont Tyvek Banner print media. HP Latex Inks use a water-based ink vehicle and HPs innovative aqueous-dispersed polymer (Latex) technology to deliver durability, permanence, and color imaging performance comparable to eco-solvent inks2 (HP Designjet L25500 Printer) and HP low-solvent inks3 (HP Scitex LX600 and LX800 Printers). HP Latex Inks were designed together with HP Thermal Inkjet writing systems to deliver reliable performance, high image quality, and provide automatic printhead maintenance without daily manual cleaning.. The water-based formulation of HP Latex Inks enables an improved printing environment and recycling opportunities exist for certain used consumables and HP large-format printing materials.6,14

For more information


To learn more about HP Latex Printing Technologies, visit www.hp.com/go/hp_latex_printing_technologies For more information about the HP Large-format Media take-back program, visit www.hp.com/recycle For more information about HP large-format printing materials, visit www.hp.com/go/lfprinting/materials-supplies For more information about HP Designjet Solutions, visit www.hp.com/go/L25500/solutions www.hp.com/go/L65500/solutions www.hp.com/go/scitexLX600 www.hp.com/go/scitexLX800

2010 Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P. The information contained herein is subject to change without notice. The only warranties for HP products and services are set forth in the express warranty statements accompanying such products and services. Nothing herein should be construed as constituting an additional warranty. HP shall not be liable for technical or editorial errors or omissions contained herein. April 2010 v.2

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The Truth About Solvent Ink


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A Look at the Myths and Realities Surrounding Solvent By Tony Martin, president, Lyson Inc. The recent introduction of lower-cost solvent, wide-format printers has opened up the market for inkjet printing in outdoor applications. These systems are selling in increasing numbers and many new machine and ink vendors are appearing on the scene. However, popularity doesnt equate to understanding the features and benefits of the many different inks available. Confusion Abounds Websters New World College Dictionary defines solvent as "a substance, usually a liquid, which dissolves another substance." This can describe any liquid including water. But in the inkjet world, the term is used to describe any ink that is not water-based. On top of this, the terms the industry uses to describe inks include soft, mild, safe and green, as well as hard, real, true and strong. No wonder people are confused. One of the more intriguing terms used is eco-solvent ink. To most people, "eco" means ecological. But these inks generally contain glycol esters or glycol ether esters both derived from mineral oil hardly a renewable resource or an ecologically sound process. Perhaps the terms mild and aggressive might best be suited to describe the two groups that include solvent inks. To Work, It Has To Stick The vast majority of images for outdoor display are printed on nonabsorbent, uncoated materials, such as self-adhesive vinyl and scrim banner. The resulting print has to be weatherproof, fade-proof and largely scratch-resistant. In order to meet these performance criteria, the inks use a colorant in the form of a pigment a very fine powder and as the media is nonabsorbent, a resin or glue literally is used to stick the pigment onto the surface. The solvent is really a carrier fluid to keep the ink in liquid form for jetting, and once the ink has been applied, the solvent evaporates. Most printers use forced drying in the form of heat to speed up the process. Non-aqueous liquids are used for the carrier fluid or solvent, as it is easier to produce a waterproof image using resins that are not water-soluble. Two Choices: Mild or Aggressive A mild-solvent ink also known as soft or eco-solvent generally uses very slow-drying liquids as the carrier fluid. Therefore, printers that use these inks have several heaters fitted to aid with ink drying. The faster the machine prints, the more heat is needed. One of the main benefits of slow-drying carrier fluids is that they make it easier to design and manufacture a reliable printer. On the other hand, aggressive solvent inks hard or true solvent generally dry faster and need fewer heaters in the system. Because of this lower heat requirement, media that is prone to pucker under heat can be used more successfully than in a mild-solvent ink system. Aggressive solvents also have the benefit of softening up the media surface, which helps pigments to bond. Hence, aggressive solvent inks tend to be more scratch- and weather-resistant, and work on a wider range of materials. The types of resins and additives that can be used with aggressive solvents also make it easier to produce an ink that is glossy when dry, so colors appear to have more "pop." The running cost for both ink types are remarkably similar when purchased in cartridge form, although aggressive-solvent machines tend to use about 10 percent more ink due to the increased headmaintenance cycles required. However, most aggressive solvent printers now come with bulk inkdelivery systems as standard or an option. This reduces running costs considerably over cartridge-fed solvent machines. It remains to be seen if the mild-solvent machine vendors introduce bulk ink at a competitive cost. A factor that sometimes is overlooked when selecting an ink is its resistance to other solvents. Finished prints often come into contact with harsh chemicals, particularly in cleaning agents. Glass cleaner or specialty vinyl-cleaning products can remove mild and less expensive aggressive-solvent-based inks. Bad Reputation Solvents have received a lot of bad press recently. However, the fact remains that there are equally as many "safe" aggressive solvents as there are toxic mild solvents. In addition, many commonly held myths about solvents confuse the issue: "If it dont smell, then it is safe," and "The more aggressive a

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myths about solvents confuse the issue: "If it dont smell, then it is safe," and "The more aggressive a solvent, the more poisonous it is." For instance, dipropylene glycol monomethyl ether is a commonly used material in many low-odor mild-solvent inks with an exposure limit set by the U.S. Occupational Safety and Health agency at 100 parts per million in the work place. Compare this to some of the lactates used by aggressive-ink manufacturers that actually are food additives, are easily metabolized and have no set exposure limits. Before using any ink, request a Material Safety Data Sheet from the supplier. By law, a supplier must provide this. A well-written MSDS provides specific information about exposure limits and ventilationextraction requirements. It also should list the components in the ink, along with the Chemical Abstracts Service number of each item. A quick Web search using the CAS numbers will provide you with a wealth of health and safety information. Good resources also include OSHA and the Environmental Protection Agency sites at www.osha.gov and www.epa.org. Once youre aware of the safe exposure limit for the ink you are using, dont ignore this. If its recommended for use in a well-ventilated area or that fumes be extracted, then do it. The health effects of exposure to more noxious solvents, such as ketones, may not be immediately apparent, and longterm exposure may be harmful. One such problem appears when a person becomes sensitized and symptoms such as nausea, headaches and skin rashes occur. As long as simple ground rules are observed, solvent inkjet printing is a safe and environmentally sound process. Sept2004, Digital Output
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