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Three major issues with water-based gravure inks for cigarette packaging
Nowadays, more and more cigarette packaging printing companies are beginning to pay attention to water-based inks. The application of water-based inks in gravure printing for cigarette packaging in our country has shown some improvement, but currently, water-based inks are still mainly used in low-end cigarette packaging where the printing quality requirements are not high. The application in high-end cigarette packaging is not optimistic, and many cigarette packaging printing companies are still hesitant to venture into the field of water-based inks.
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Nowadays, more and more cigarette packaging printing companies are beginning to pay attention to water-based inks. The application of water-based inks in gravure printing of cigarette packaging in our country has also seen some improvement, but currently, water-based inks are still mainly applied to low-end cigarette packaging with lower printing quality requirements. The application in high-end cigarette packaging is not optimistic, and many cigarette packaging printing companies are still hesitant to venture into the field of water-based inks. So, what exactly are the issues that limit the application of water-based inks in cigarette packaging gravure printing?
Issue 1: Insufficient ink performance
Drying performance: Water-based inks use water as the main solvent, and since water has a high latent heat of evaporation, its evaporation speed is relatively slow at room temperature. Therefore, its leveling, adhesion, and gloss are somewhat inferior to solvent-based inks, which can easily lead to printing quality issues.
Solubility: The solubility of water-based inks depends on the compatibility of the water-based emulsion with the pigment paste in terms of solubility and drying performance. Frequent stirring is required during production, and different brands of water-based inks have different safe storage periods. Water-based inks that exceed their safe storage period are prone to precipitation or stratification, and even stirring may not be very effective. At this point, unavoidable knife line defects may occur, or even more serious issues.
Issue 2: Production process needs adjustment
In cigarette packaging gravure printing, if the previously used solvent-based inks are replaced with water-based inks, adjustments and improvements must be made in several aspects such as plate-making parameters and equipment structure; otherwise, the printing effect will be affected. This not only requires active cooperation from ink manufacturers and plate material suppliers but also places high demands on the operational norms and skills of the operators.
In addition, to compensate for the shortcomings of water-based inks in terms of drying performance, it is also necessary to modify the drying devices of existing gravure printing machines, increase the drying power of the drying devices, or enhance the drying capacity by changing the airflow and wind speed of the drying devices without altering the drying power of the gravure printing machine.
Issue 3: Concerns about costs
With the launch of benchmarking activities in the tobacco industry, various cigarette companies have begun to strictly control cigarette packaging costs, leading to a significant drop in packaging prices and even triggering a price reduction trend. At the same time, the prices of raw and auxiliary materials and energy continue to rise, and labor costs are persistently increasing, which has diluted the profits of cigarette packaging printing companies. As a result, considerations regarding costs have become exceptionally sensitive and cautious for these companies.
Currently, the cost of using water-based inks in cigarette packaging gravure printing is indeed higher than that of solvent-based inks. On one hand, water-based inks use water-based resins as binders, and their procurement prices are much higher than those of ordinary solvents; on the other hand, to adapt to the printing characteristics of water-based inks, some financial investment is also required in terms of production energy consumption and equipment modifications.
Although the promotion of water-based inks in the field of cigarette packaging gravure printing in our country is not smooth and many challenges still need to be overcome, we must continue to adhere to the direction of environmental protection in cigarette packaging gravure printing. With the joint efforts of cigarette packaging printing companies and consumable suppliers, and through the accumulation of experience in practice, we should face the current difficulties with a positive attitude.
First, we need to develop mature new products, focusing research and development on the drying and solubility of inks, with the key issue being the selection of water-based emulsions. Additionally, we should draw on the mature experiences of water-based inks in flexographic printing. Furthermore, we need to have a correct perspective on costs.
Issue 1: Insufficient ink performance
Drying performance: Water-based inks use water as the main solvent, and since water has a high latent heat of evaporation, its evaporation speed is relatively slow at room temperature. Therefore, its leveling, adhesion, and gloss are somewhat inferior to solvent-based inks, which can easily lead to printing quality issues.
Solubility: The solubility of water-based inks depends on the compatibility of the water-based emulsion with the pigment paste in terms of solubility and drying performance. Frequent stirring is required during production, and different brands of water-based inks have different safe storage periods. Water-based inks that exceed their safe storage period are prone to precipitation or stratification, and even stirring may not be very effective. At this point, unavoidable knife line defects may occur, or even more serious issues.
Issue 2: Production process needs adjustment
In cigarette packaging gravure printing, if the previously used solvent-based inks are replaced with water-based inks, adjustments and improvements must be made in several aspects such as plate-making parameters and equipment structure; otherwise, the printing effect will be affected. This not only requires active cooperation from ink manufacturers and plate material suppliers but also places high demands on the operational norms and skills of the operators.
In addition, to compensate for the shortcomings of water-based inks in terms of drying performance, it is also necessary to modify the drying devices of existing gravure printing machines, increase the drying power of the drying devices, or enhance the drying capacity by changing the airflow and wind speed of the drying devices without altering the drying power of the gravure printing machine.
Issue 3: Concerns about costs
With the launch of benchmarking activities in the tobacco industry, various cigarette companies have begun to strictly control cigarette packaging costs, leading to a significant drop in packaging prices and even triggering a price reduction trend. At the same time, the prices of raw and auxiliary materials and energy continue to rise, and labor costs are persistently increasing, which has diluted the profits of cigarette packaging printing companies. As a result, considerations regarding costs have become exceptionally sensitive and cautious for these companies.
Currently, the cost of using water-based inks in cigarette packaging gravure printing is indeed higher than that of solvent-based inks. On one hand, water-based inks use water-based resins as binders, and their procurement prices are much higher than those of ordinary solvents; on the other hand, to adapt to the printing characteristics of water-based inks, some financial investment is also required in terms of production energy consumption and equipment modifications.
Although the promotion of water-based inks in the field of cigarette packaging gravure printing in our country is not smooth and many challenges still need to be overcome, we must continue to adhere to the direction of environmental protection in cigarette packaging gravure printing. With the joint efforts of cigarette packaging printing companies and consumable suppliers, and through the accumulation of experience in practice, we should face the current difficulties with a positive attitude.
First, we need to develop mature new products, focusing research and development on the drying and solubility of inks, with the key issue being the selection of water-based emulsions. Additionally, we should draw on the mature experiences of water-based inks in flexographic printing. Furthermore, we need to have a correct perspective on costs.
Key words:
Printing,ink,water-based
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Shaanxi Xinaohua Material Technology Co., Ltd
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