1. DIGITAL INKS
Jerry Fitch
Sensient Imaging Technologies

2. History
Conventional Printing Methods Have Been with us for 100’s of Years
Innovation Has Occurred With Relatively Long Implementation Cycle
Technology - Efficiency/ Reliability/ Print Quality Improvements
Cost of Equipment Retrofit or Replacement
Customer Needs
Changing Health and Safety Regulations

3. History Wide-Format Inkjet Has Been With Us For Barely 30 Years.
First Commercial Wide-Format Inkjet Printer Early 1990’s by Encad
Incredible 5-6 Sq/Ft per Hr, 300 dpi
Rapid Innovation
Hardware – Printheads and Transports
Hardware – Other Technologies Such As Electrophotography
Hardware – Finishing Equipment
Software – RIPs and Color Management
Substrates – Coatings and Base Materials
Finishing – Primers, Laminates, Topcoats
Inks – Aqueous, Toners, Oil, Solvent, UV, eBeam    Aqueous

4. Digital print in our lives
You Are Exposed To Digital Print Every Day
Grand-Format Photography/ Fine Art
Billboards and Bus Signage
Banners and Flags
Fashion, Sports Uniforms and Fanwear
In-Store Displays/ Signage
Home Décor – Pillows, Curtains, Upholstery, Wallpaper
Ceramics
Ad Specialties and Premiums
Eggs, Cigarette Packaging
Labels, Tags
Craft Beverages
Non-wovens, Textiles, Metals, Ceramics, Glass, Edibles, Bioprinting, Printed Electronics, Etc.
And Of Course, Packaging

5. considerations with digital ink
One Ink, No Opportunity To Change/Modify Based On Substrate
Varying Chemistries And Fibers(1) Used To Manufacture Face Sheet
Virgin, Craft, Bleached, Clay/Resin Coated Each Interact With Ink Differently
Environmental/ Regulatory
EPA, OSHA
Food, Pharma, Cosmetics (FDA, Brand Imposed Restrictions)
(1) Beginning to see the use of renewable non wood fiber sources, such as wheat straw.

6. considerations with digital ink
Regulation Of Inks For Food, Pharma, Cosmetics
FDA Regulations Are Tough To Negotiate
EU Is In Flux, But Most Follow Swiss Ordinance
Nestle Follows Swiss Ordinance, But With Added Restrictions
Primary Package - Indirect Food Contact Rules Apply
No Migration Of Packaging Components And Chemistry
Secondary Packaging – No Regulation, Though Some Brands Try To Control For Shelf/ Aisle Ready Displays

7. considerations with digital ink
Cost In Use
Inkjet Is More Expensive Than Conventional Printing
Inkjet Is Less Expensive Than Running Analog Short Runs
Inkjet Is Not Intended To Replace Analog For High Volume Print Runs
Inkjet Is A New Capability That Allows More Cost Effective And Efficient Printing Of Shorter Runs

8. Digital Ink for Corrugated
Focus On 4 Color Printing For Regulated Markets
Non-Contact Printing Method - Inkjet
Solvent Ink
UV Inks
Electron Beam Inks
Aqueous Inks
Uses For Corrugated, Benefits, Challenges

9. Digital Ink for Corrugated
Solvent Inks
Not Relevant To 4 Color Process Printing
Environmental and Regulatory Issues
No Current Hardware Development
Used Extensively For Coding And Marking
Fast Drying
There Are FDA Compliant Options For Primary Packaging

10. Digital Ink for Corrugated
UV Inks
Came To Market At Drupa 2000, Introduced By Inca
Roughly 30 Years After It was First Available for Analog Printing
Most Widely Used Grand-Format/ Industrial Inkjet Inks For Decoration Today
Has Been Used For Years For Very Low Volume – Prototyping And POP
Fastest/ Easiest Way For Digital Printer OEMs To Enter Packaging With High Speed Options
Generally A Good Ink, But Can be Challenging
Ink That Is Absorbed Into The Substrate Will Not Cure
Can Be Corrected With A Primer
Mottling On Some Paper Surfaces
Ink Film Thickness of Micron VS Analog Of 4 Microns
Slow Down To Insure Good Through Cure
Wrong Tactile Effect For Some Applications – Can Feel A Bit Like Braille
Migration Concerns – Ink is Thin In Viscosity And Component Molecule Size Is Small
EU Is Strengthening EHS Warnings, Primarily Photoinitiators, But Other Chemistry Is Being Evaluated

11. Digital Ink for Corrugated
Electron Beam
Options For Analog Printing Around 1980
Development For Digital Printing Began In Earnest 6-7 Years Ago
- Few Commercially Available Solutions
Benefits
eBeam Fixes A Lot Of The Shortcomings Of UV
Eliminates Photoinitiators – Odor And Some Health Risks
Better/ Faster Through Cure – Ink Absorbed Into The Substrate Can Be Cured
Not Affected By Ink Film Thickness
Challenges
Cost Of Entry (Equipment) Is High
Requires A Higher Level Of Operator Training / Attention To Detail
Ink Film Thickness Of Micron VS Analog Of 4 Microns
Wrong Tactile Effect For Some Applications – Can Feel A Bit Like Braille
Migration Concerns – Ink Is Thin In Viscosity And Component Molecule Size Is Small

12. Digital Ink for Corrugated
Aqueous Inks
Water-Based Inks Have Been With Us From The Beginning Of Wide Format Inkjet
Currently The Hot Topic With Users, OEMs, Hardware Integrators
Replace Electrophotography – Reduce Cost In Use
Replace UV – Eliminate EHS And Regulatory Concerns
Not As Complicated As Some Other Ink Solutions
Benefits
Good Ink Film Thickness – 3-4 Microns
Ink Is Flexible, Stretches with Substrate
Reduce/ Eliminate EHS And Regulatory Concerns
Challenges
Printer Confirguration
Surface Prep and Drying
Typically Based On Traditional Aqueous Chemistry

13. Digital Ink for Corrugated
So, Does The Perfect Digital Ink Exist?
UV and eBeam Continue To Develop
Chemistry Continues To Improve
A Number Of Hardware Solutions Currently Available
Nagging Concerns With Future Regulatory, EHS And Brand RSL
Aqueous
Best Cost In Use Model Of Available Options
Good Performance Charactoristics – Folding, stretching, adhesion
Reduce/ Eliminate EHS And Regulatory Concerns

14. Digital Ink for Corrugated
So, Does The Perfect Digital Ink Exist?
UV and eBeam Continue To Develop
Chemistry Continues To Improve
A Number Of Hardware Solutions Currently Available
Nagging Concerns With Future Regulatory, EHS And Brand RSL
Aqueous
Best Cost In Use Model Of Available Options
Good Performance Charactoristics – Folding, stretching, adhesion
Reduce/ Eliminate EHS And Regulatory Concerns
Sensient SX WaterBased Ink
Revolutionary Formulation Developed From the Pigment Dispersion Up
Excellent Adhesion to a Wide Variety Of Substrates
Ink Sets On Surface And Eliminates Gloss/Color Variations With Difficult Substrates
Swiss Ordinance And Nestle Compliant

15. Thank You Jerry Fitch Sensient Imaging Technologies
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