Playing with Ink & Media

From automotive parts to suitcases, there is hardly anything that cannot serve as a substrate for printing given the advances in ink and processes that have been the driving factor in expanding the possibilities.

Josh McNaughton, Product Specialist for Xante Corporation, notes the growth is in manufacturing. “With the advancements of UV printing technologies, many manufacturers are bringing these digital devices inhouse to print on their own products as opposed to screen printing or pad printing,” he pointed out. “These manufacturers want to produce more lean and just-in-time. Digital printing offers the flexibility they need to print a wide variety of products with very little make-ready compared to analog printing equipment. We have seen digital printing used in everything from automotive parts, puzzles, leather, compact discs, and sporting goods.”

On the other hand, commercial print shops also are getting into the digital market as they seek new revenue opportunities away from their traditional markets, McNaughton added.

“Newer UV printers allow the flexibility for a shop to off er everything from promotional products to signage, which makes it very easy for a print shop owner to target many new niches with only a single machine investment,” he said.

Dan Johansen, Senior Manager for wide format, commercial and industrial printing business group, Ricoh USA, noted that many printers, inspired by strides in wide format inkjet’s versatility are embracing “incredible new substrates”. Thanks to advanced specialized inks and enhanced printhead technology, the industry’s options for unique substrates have grown considerably to the point that printing service providers (PSPs) can now utilize virtually every surface to market their customers’ products and deliver messaging in interesting, engaging ways, Johansen notes.

“With these advancements, printers and print buyers are allowing their imaginations and their applications to expand, unencumbered by the limitations of traditional substrates,” he elaborated.

With the added capacity, speed and uptime provided by inkjet, PSPs are expanding their portfolio of new applications that they can print, noted Sheri Jammallo, Senior Advisor, Marketing, Production Print Solutions, Canon Solutions America.

“New development in inks such as with Chromera inks – a fast-drying ink – open options for printers to use their inkjet devices to print on inexpensive uncoated and untreated digital off set papers and lightly inkjet-treated paper,” Jammallo pointed out.

Chromera inks also are ideal for lightweight paper Wedding invitation printed with metallic ink. Samples printed with metallic ink on the Xerox Iridesse Production Press. PrintingNewscom June 2018 Printing News 25 Inkjet’s Age applications as the pigments stay closer to the paper surface, thus reducing show-through on thin papers, she added.

“As the combination of advancements in inks, print heads, and drying solutions within inkjet technology matures and evolves, the ability to use standard off set coated stocks with inkjet will drive more transition from off set to digital as well along with the traditional advantages such as personalization and short-run lengths,” Jammallo said.

“The latest ink and drying technology of the Océ ProStream opens up a world of commercial applications with high ink coverage for production inkjet,” she added. “With the speed, quality, and substrate flexibility, many book printers also are transitioning their book printing from off set to inkjet. Printers who use inkjet can consider high-end finishing options like UV coating, foil, and metallic.”

All of these advances mean that printers are now engaging in different printing projects that they could not off er customers before. Current UV printers and soft ware RIPs on the market are offering a multitude of options and features to allow specialty printing on a “huge gamut” of materials, notes McNaughton. These features include print head technologies that allow UV printers to print at a much higher resolution, eject smaller droplet sizes, and run at higher speeds, he said, adding that substrate thickness/head height capabilities of more than 11 inches enable PSPs to print on “very thick” items that are pre-assembled or create custom jigs for specialty products or irregular shapes. UV inks available on the market can be rigid, off ering greater adhesion, chemical resistance and durability in contrast to a flexible ink which can be folded and stretched without failure, noted McNaughton.

“There also are hybrid inks on the market off ering the best of both worlds with performance in-between a true rigid or flexible ink,” he said. “Th ere are many specialty primers available to increase adhesion on items such as glass, metals, stone, and plastics. White inks and white ink supply systems have improved greatly over the years, allowing more opacity and less clogging, making white much more user-friendly to the operator.”

Many RIPs have features allowing the operator to print textures with UV ink, providing the operator with the capability to print items such as Braille are even simulated textures such as wood grain or tiled patterns giving a 3D appearance that can be seen and touched, said McNaughton. Th ere are several factors PSPs should note when considering expansion of their service offerings to embrace this type of work, industry experts say.

“As printers look to capitalize on substrate flexibility, it’s important to remember that as your capabilities scale, your workflows need to scale as well,” Johansen explained.

“That means delivering the same level of workflow optimization and color consistency that is foundational to a printer’s reputation, but now across more substrates,” he added. “This can require a lot of trial and error or in many cases enlisting outside experienced help.” Johansen points out that “we as an industry have this tremendous opportunity to leverage more and more diverse substrates in wide format inkjet but at the end of the day, print buyers still expect consistency from job to job and substrate to substrate.

“A successful printer needs to deliver on that consistency, no matter how exciting the substrate,” he adds. “Without consistency, campaigns can look sloppy and unprofessional, limiting their effectiveness and potentially costing business.”

To expand their offerings, PSPs should identify their core vertical market to focus on and become experts in those markets, says Jammallo. “They should complement their workflow to achieve operational efficiencies and finishing capabilities that will support their application growth and customer needs.” PSPs also should consider their potential volume, Jammallo points out. “Investing into production inkjet usually requires high monthly volumes to justify the investment,” she says. “However, with the entry of sheetfed inkjet devices like the Océ VarioPrint i-series, the cost of entry is much lower and can be justified with monthly volumes of 1,000,000 images with the option to add more volume as the business grows.”

While the expansion of substrates is an exciting advancement for many PSPs, the primary consideration to obtain successful results when going into a new niche market is using the right ink or printing technology for the job, McNaughton pointed out.

“Depending on the product’s use, a rigid ink may be much more suitable than a flexible ink for the application,” he said. PSPs should also take into account if the material is going to require any additional prep or adhesion promotors, McNaughton added. “Oft entimes, if the printed items will be sold through retail or distribution, the customer will put the printed item through rigorous testing to see how the ink will hold up to the wear of the intended application or environment,” he concluded.