The Emerging Technology Of UV Printing For The Packaging And Printing Industry

What is UV Printing?

UV printing is a type of digital printing that utilizes ultraviolet light to dry or cure the ink as it's spread on the surface. The printer will pass over the areas where ink is printed. Ultraviolet light follows closely behind and instantly "cure" or dry the ink.

Ultraviolet printing provides direct printing capabilities onto an almost endless range of flat and 3D media, enabling easy product customization. This is why it is so popular among packaging solutions companies. When UV ink is printed onto a substrate, and it is exposed to ultraviolet light it immediately solidifies.

How does it work?

Traditional printing uses inks that are infused with special solvents. These solvents evaporate into the air when the ink is applied to the material. These solvents evaporate into the air, allowing ink to soak into the surface faster and leaving behind a digital image once it has dried. Different spray powders are available to speed drying times. This printing method cannot be used on materials such as plastics, acrylics or foil.

The Ultraviolet (UV), Printing Process

When UV printing is done quickly, ultraviolet light is used to dry the ink. After the printer distributes the ink onto a material's surface, UV lights follow behind, quickly drying it. Ultraviolet printing is currently a trending topic within the printing sector and is more sustainable than conventional techniques.

UV ink is printed directly onto the substrate (material), turning from liquid to solid state almost instantaneously when exposed to UV light. You can print almost anything with UV inks because there is little to no evaporation and virtually no absorption of solvents into paper. This technology allows for direct printing on a wide range of 3-D media. It also makes it possible to customize products quickly and easily.

UV inks dry quickly and leave no VOCs behind, making UV printing an environmentally friendly technology with a small carbon footprint.

LED UV Printing

Led-UV Printing is the latest generation in UV printing technology. It produces wavelengths at 385-395nm. This light spectrum is safer and more efficient than its older counterpart, giving results far superior to those achieved through traditional UV printing methods.

Printing with led UV is a more practical choice than its UV counterpart. Firstly, unlike UV printing, led UV doesn't need mercury lamps for curing the inks; this makes it safer and cheaper because the light emitted falls within the UV-A range, offering greater security than its traditional counterpart. Additionally, it consumes less energy than traditional UV printing.

LED UV printing provides the quality luxury businesses desire. Furthermore, its faster drying time gives it greater reliability in the pharmaceutical and FMCG industries. The final printed product is enhanced with color and finished with superior quality that makes a lasting impression.

LED-UV printing can be considered a sustainable and green technology. It emits no volatile organic compounds (VOC) during printing. Companies require less infrastructure to set up LED printing units, while consumers get a superior product with a glossy finish.

UV printing in the food packaging industry

Personalization is a rapidly growing industry worldwide. Digital UV printing offers a great way to meet that demand, increase product sales and remain competitive.

Conventional printing methods were hazardous, as there was a high likelihood that food items could get contaminated when ink substances from the printing plate were transferred onto them inside the packaging. These inks were not cured, so they could be contaminated. The final packaging of food was also not up to standards.

UV printing in the food packaging industry has proven a hugely successful solution--UV inks cure during printing, leaving no hazardous solvents that could contaminate what's inside. More and more food manufacturers are pursuing this technique for customized food items while upholding high-quality standards.

UV Printing in the Pharmaceutical Industry

Labeling is unique for every industry. Different applications require different printing technology. This includes labels for pharmaceutical, sports, food, beverages, cosmetics, and more. Each brand is unique in its aesthetic appeal. One type of security printing that is popular in the pharmaceutical industry is UV printing.

Pharmaceutical labels, such as drug and medical brands, are unique in that they can be vulnerable to counterfeiting or forgery. To combat such practices, UV printing is often employed in the pharmaceutical industry along with serialization for added protection.

Pharmaceutical printing uses invisible UV inks. This has been shown to be one of most effective techniques to prevent counterfeiting in the pharmaceutical sector. While these inks cannot be seen with the naked eye, they can be illuminated by Ultraviolet LEDs. Invisible UV inks are a powerful deterrent to counterfeiters because they have unique identification numbers attached each time a pharmaceutical item is opened.

UV Printing offers Untold Benefits

Grand Prints believes that ultraviolet printing will be the future in packaging and printing. It's cost-effective and sustainable, with many benefits for business.

LED Print Applications - LEDs offer a cool, dry touch and minimal heat output making them perfect for printing on heat sensitive substrates like thin slides, self-adhesive sheets, and stretched PVC materials.

UV Printing is Faster than Traditional Printing. UV printing doesn't require you to wait for ink to dry. The photochemical process evaporates the ink, so it can be done almost immediately!

This technique is cost-effective because it takes less time to dry. Because the product is quick drying, it can be printed faster. Plus, no aqueous coatings are necessary as with traditional inks for packaging printing.

Bright Finish: UV printing gives you a vibrant look because the ink doesn't have to soak into the material/paper. This method can produce photos-realistic prints.

The bottom line

UV printing is an emerging industry trend that promises to expand over the coming years and find applications across various industries. Due to its https://escatter11.fullerton.edu/nfs/show_user.php?userid=3717498 cost-efficiency, eco-friendliness, and diverse nature, UV printing is sure to become the future of packaging and printing technology.