Reading Between the Hues
January 2001
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Package printers still put metallic inks to work more often than other specialty formulations, but printing with custom-blended colors is even more commonplace.
By Kate Tomlinson, Assistant Editor
TWO YEARS AGO, packagePRINTING's annual ink usage survey asked tag and label, flexible packaging, and folding carton converters to identify their top specialty inks choices. The response was overwhelmingly in favor of metallic inks—83 percent of respondents had put metallics to work during 1998.
pP's 2001 survey revisited this topic to find not much has changed. Due to some new options in specialty ink, usage percentages are spread over a wider spectrum, but metallics are still the most widely used specific type of specialty ink. Fluorescents and pearlescents follow. However, the hands-down favorite specialty option of package printers over the past year is printing with custom colors.
The numbers tell the story
Sixty-five percent of respondents reported they are currently using metallic ink. Deanna Whalen, marketing communications manager at Akzo Nobel, believes this is true because metallics are easy to work with and popular on the store shelf. "Consumers like the look of a nice, shiny gold or silver on a package. It gives off the feeling of prestige," she notes.
Conversely, receiving only two percent of responses, photochromic inks came up as the least commonly used of all the specialties. According to Whalen, "Photochromics' time is yet to come. Printers do not have the experience with this type of ink, therefore, they are more hesitant to try it." Many ink suppliers, including Akzo Nobel, do not yet offer photochromic inks in the United States. "The American market doesn't require it right now, so currently we are importing it from Europe on a needed basis," Whalen adds.
According to 48 percent of respondents, color matching is the biggest challenge encountered when working with specialty inks. Jim Wittig, vice president/technical director at Rad-Cure Corp., believes color matching with specialty inks is "pushing the limits of flexo heads." He believes in order to get the full effect of everything these inks have to offer, a screen process is the way to go. Approximately 70 percent of respondents currently use specialty ink on screen presses or screen printing units. Wittig adds these inks are most difficult to use with digital presses: "Most specialties are too grainy for a digital process; there is also a very limited color selection available right now." Many printers agree with this, as specialty ink usage on digital presses trailed other print processes at 24 percent.
By Kate Tomlinson, Assistant Editor
TWO YEARS AGO, packagePRINTING's annual ink usage survey asked tag and label, flexible packaging, and folding carton converters to identify their top specialty inks choices. The response was overwhelmingly in favor of metallic inks—83 percent of respondents had put metallics to work during 1998.
pP's 2001 survey revisited this topic to find not much has changed. Due to some new options in specialty ink, usage percentages are spread over a wider spectrum, but metallics are still the most widely used specific type of specialty ink. Fluorescents and pearlescents follow. However, the hands-down favorite specialty option of package printers over the past year is printing with custom colors.
The numbers tell the story
Sixty-five percent of respondents reported they are currently using metallic ink. Deanna Whalen, marketing communications manager at Akzo Nobel, believes this is true because metallics are easy to work with and popular on the store shelf. "Consumers like the look of a nice, shiny gold or silver on a package. It gives off the feeling of prestige," she notes.
Conversely, receiving only two percent of responses, photochromic inks came up as the least commonly used of all the specialties. According to Whalen, "Photochromics' time is yet to come. Printers do not have the experience with this type of ink, therefore, they are more hesitant to try it." Many ink suppliers, including Akzo Nobel, do not yet offer photochromic inks in the United States. "The American market doesn't require it right now, so currently we are importing it from Europe on a needed basis," Whalen adds.
According to 48 percent of respondents, color matching is the biggest challenge encountered when working with specialty inks. Jim Wittig, vice president/technical director at Rad-Cure Corp., believes color matching with specialty inks is "pushing the limits of flexo heads." He believes in order to get the full effect of everything these inks have to offer, a screen process is the way to go. Approximately 70 percent of respondents currently use specialty ink on screen presses or screen printing units. Wittig adds these inks are most difficult to use with digital presses: "Most specialties are too grainy for a digital process; there is also a very limited color selection available right now." Many printers agree with this, as specialty ink usage on digital presses trailed other print processes at 24 percent.
Companies Mentioned:
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