Are inkjet usable for flexible packaging printing?
You would have come across stylish packaging while out shopping.
This is one of the pleasures of going shopping.
While we often seek convenience by making purchases online, part of the fun and thrill of shopping in brick-and-mortar stores is making those instinctive purchases based on the packaging. This kind of “relaxation” is important.
But what concerns manufacturers is although they want more design variations and to be more adventurous, they also have to consider packaging costs and inventory management...
Inkjet printing solves this problem
In particular, water-based pigment ink is attracting attention from the perspective of ESG investment, however back printing is recommended for soft-packaging water-based IJ printing.
Why?
As it is a water-based ink, scratch/wet friction resistance is more of a concern compared to solvent-based inks or UV inks, and in recent years, especially during the COVID-19 pandemic, packaging is increasingly exposed to disinfection using alcohol.
But if water-based ink could be used for front printing with inkjet...it would be much easier to print.
A surface printed with water-based pigment ink for back printing requires only one wipe with rubbing alcohol to remove the ink.
We are sorry to have kept you waiting so long.
The latest technology being developed by Kao enables inkjet printing + primer-less + water-based pigment ink = surface printing.
Kao’s water-based pigment ink is capsule pigment ink.
Kao's inkjet researchers focused on polyester resin, which Kao has cultivated over many years through its toner technology, and introduced a new design of polyester resin into pigment capsule resin and fixable resin.
Do you remember when we used to print onto OHP film with a toner cartridge printer for presentations? When you made a mistake you would try to rub it out with alcohol, but it wouldn’t come off and you would frantically try to cut out the error...
In truth, those kind of experiences gave rise to the new ink design.
New design, water-based pigment ink containing polyester resin born from Kao’s cutting-edge technologies
This newly designed polyester resin helps to achieve the following.
・Uniform printing on coated film by applying newly designed polyester resin to pigment capsule resin.
・Reduction in swelling of the coated film caused by ethanol by applying newly designed polyester resin to the fixing resin.
Through a combination of these techniques, this newly designed, water-based pigment ink containing polyester resin enables the following.
This brand new ink makes all this possible.
Look at what it can achieve!
Conclusion
Well, what do you think?
In addition to these technologies Kao has cultivated over many years,
・Polymer technology
・Polymer coating technology
・Interface control technology
・Nano-dispersion technology;
Kao is continuing to evolve its primer-less flexible package printing ink first announced in 2016.
When it comes to pigments dispersions and water-based pigment ink, no one does it better than Kao.
We can help you with everything from ink for absorbent substrates to ink for non-absorbent substrates.
The newly designed, water-based pigment ink containing polyester resin for back printing is in its final stages of development.
We invite you all to watch this space.
Please use the form below to request samples and further information about LUNAJET®.
