TH-INK-ING ABOUT COLOR
January 2002
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packagePRINTING went straight to its readers to explore trends in specialty, application-specific, and hybrid ink usage.
by Kate Tomlinson, Assistant Editor
THIS YEAR, packagePRINTING's annual ink survey spread its wings to cover more emerging usage trends. Among the findings: hybrid ink systems, while fairly new to the scene, are beginning to carve a niche for themselves. And, as printers expand their substrate capabilities, the use of application-specific inks is becoming commonplace. In addition, the tried-and-true specialty ink market continues to grow and release new products.
Despite online purchasing's growth in many segments, the numbers show package printers are still fairly hesitant about this buying method. In last year's poll, only 34 percent of responding printers said they were "very/somewhat likely" to venture onto the Internet for their ink supplies. This year, 49 percent say they would consider purchasing inks online in the future—though none have done so yet. While the numbers are slowly shifting, 51 percent still say they do not intend to place ink orders on the Web.
Another topic the pP survey explored is the choice of single or multiple ink vendors. In a close race, 60 percent of respondents reported turning to one supplier for all their ink needs. Quality, service, reputation, and price were the most common reasons behind this choice. Some of the less frequently cited reasons included: development of formulations to fit specific application needs; the supplier's ability to handle problems; and test lab availability.
Don Duncan, director of research at Wikoff Color Corp., cites several advantages to working with a single supplier. "You know who to talk to when a problem arises," he says. "And because the commitment is there from both ends, everyone feels they are getting the needed attention." Duncan adds another perk to the single-supplier set-up is usually a price discount based on volume of inks purchased.
Specialty inks stand firm
Overall, 88 percent of survey respondents reported using specialty inks during 2001. As for the most popular type, metallics are still running the show. Last year, a quarter of respondents reported putting metallic ink to work; this year, the number has risen to 33 percent. So which inks lost ground? The use of custom colors slipped from 30 percent to 17 percent. Like last year's stats, the top four types of specialty inks—metallics, fluorescents, custom colors, and pearlescents—still make up 80 percent of specialty ink usage. (The balance consists of phosphorescents, hot stamping inks, photochromics, reflectives, and thermochromics.)
by Kate Tomlinson, Assistant Editor
THIS YEAR, packagePRINTING's annual ink survey spread its wings to cover more emerging usage trends. Among the findings: hybrid ink systems, while fairly new to the scene, are beginning to carve a niche for themselves. And, as printers expand their substrate capabilities, the use of application-specific inks is becoming commonplace. In addition, the tried-and-true specialty ink market continues to grow and release new products.
Despite online purchasing's growth in many segments, the numbers show package printers are still fairly hesitant about this buying method. In last year's poll, only 34 percent of responding printers said they were "very/somewhat likely" to venture onto the Internet for their ink supplies. This year, 49 percent say they would consider purchasing inks online in the future—though none have done so yet. While the numbers are slowly shifting, 51 percent still say they do not intend to place ink orders on the Web.
Another topic the pP survey explored is the choice of single or multiple ink vendors. In a close race, 60 percent of respondents reported turning to one supplier for all their ink needs. Quality, service, reputation, and price were the most common reasons behind this choice. Some of the less frequently cited reasons included: development of formulations to fit specific application needs; the supplier's ability to handle problems; and test lab availability.
Don Duncan, director of research at Wikoff Color Corp., cites several advantages to working with a single supplier. "You know who to talk to when a problem arises," he says. "And because the commitment is there from both ends, everyone feels they are getting the needed attention." Duncan adds another perk to the single-supplier set-up is usually a price discount based on volume of inks purchased.
Specialty inks stand firm
Overall, 88 percent of survey respondents reported using specialty inks during 2001. As for the most popular type, metallics are still running the show. Last year, a quarter of respondents reported putting metallic ink to work; this year, the number has risen to 33 percent. So which inks lost ground? The use of custom colors slipped from 30 percent to 17 percent. Like last year's stats, the top four types of specialty inks—metallics, fluorescents, custom colors, and pearlescents—still make up 80 percent of specialty ink usage. (The balance consists of phosphorescents, hot stamping inks, photochromics, reflectives, and thermochromics.)
Companies Mentioned:
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Chemistry for the Graphic Arts
What the Printer Should Know About Paper