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What is Solvent Based Ink
In the world of ink, you mainly have two choices: water-based ink or oil-based ink.
The term ink solvent refers to the ink containing an oil-based solution. This ink is a relatively inexpensive type of ink that is compatible with inkjet printers. An attribute of solvent inks is that it is waterproof, thus making them resistant to fading and wearing. It is a common ink used to print on different uncoated banners and vinyl because the pigment bonds well with these materials. Normally, the solvent will evaporate or be flashed off with the heaters on the printer, which will leave only the pigment on the material.
Components of Solvent Ink
There are three parts to solvent ink: the carrier fluid, pigment and resin. Technically, solvent ink refers only to the oil-based carrier portion of the ink that keeps the other components in liquid form and once applied to a surface through jetting dissolves. Pigments used to produce color in solvent ink are applied in powder form to produce the best quality color and they are adhered to the printing materials by means of resin which both makes the color stick and protects it from damage.
Types of Solvent Ink
- NC Inks: suitable for applications requiring high heat resistance (surface printing) and relatively low lamination strength.
- PVB Inks: designated for lamination works requiring higher lamination strength.
- PVC or PVB-PU Inks: designated for packages required to sustain extreme conditions such as pasteurization and retort packaging.
All solvent-based inks marketed by Xingxin enable the use of elevated light-resistant pigments, possessing an especially high level of LR.
Advantages of Solvent Ink
Solvent ink also has the advantages of being fade-proof, waterproof and scratch resistant. These qualities enhance its usefulness in outdoor printing.
Application of Solvent Ink
Typically, ink solvent is used to print on outdoor products because of its ability to adhere to non-absorbent materials. This ink is excellent for use with long-term outdoor banners and vinyl because it is able to resist fading for five to seven years. However, venting is important for this ink because of the presence of volatile organic compounds.
Costs of Solvent Ink
The cost for both the mild and aggressive forms of solvent ink is comparable when purchased in ink cartridges but manufacturers of printers made for use with the aggressive form have made bulk ink insert options that overtime saves on ink costs in order to offset the fact that aggressive ink printers use 10 percent more ink than mild ink printers.
Water-based VS Solvent Ink
Water-based inks can be used for outdoor purposes, but they are much less durable than solvent inks and require special coatings in order to stick to materials such as vinyl and plastics. Solvent ink bonds to these types of materials much better than water-based ink, because solvent ink is a non-polar substance, just like the plastic or vinyl it is printed on. This shared chemical property is what makes solvent ink able to penetrate and adhere to these non-absorbent surfaces.
How to Choose
There are many factors to consider when it comes to ink selection, for example, machine speed, order quantity, job length, substrate, regulations, operator skill level, market demand…etc. At the end of the day choose what makes sense to you, because what makes sense to others may not make sense to you.
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