At Independent Ink, we have been formulating and manufacturing inks for over 70 years, and UV ink is one of the most exciting innovations in the last few decades.  UV Inks are specialty inks that are dried or cured with ultraviolet light, in contrast to traditional inks, which are solvent based and need to sit in order to dry or be treated.

Used across a number of industries, including automotive, electronics, graphic printing and metal, glass and plastic marking, these inks are particularly popular because they are easier and brighter than other inks and adhere to both rigid and soft substrates.

If you are considering whether to switch over to UV inks, check out four ways UV printing differs from traditional printing inks:

1. UV Inks are more environmentally friendly

Solvent based inks release chemicals in the air as they dry which can be environmentally harmful and is subject to government regulations.  Because UV inks are flash-dried with a uv light, they are made with a minimal amount of harmful chemicals and release very low amounts of pollution into the air.

2. UV inks speed up your production line.

UV inks dry within seconds, so your production line will not be held up waiting on your inks to soak into substrate.  This is especially key for large industrial operations where each product moves through a lengthy production process.

3. UV inks are cost effective.

Using these specialty inks will save your business money in a number of ways.  First, UV inks do not require additional coatings that many solvent based inks do in order to promote drying times and prevent smudging.  The UV light sets the ink permanently, so there is no need for additional coating products. Your business will also use less ink with each application because UV inks do not need to permeate a substrate, which means your business can buy new ink less often. Finally, UV inks require less space in your printing facility and less direct labor to manage, which can generate cost-savings as well.

4. UV inks are brighter and more resilient.

Because they do not soak into your substrate, these inks are incredibly vibrant and more wear-and-tear resistant.  The UV light bonds the ink to the substrate, helping improve resistance to scratching and other solvents that your substrate is exposed to.

Contact us to learn more about our line of UV inks or view our UV inks.