A Novel Water-Based Ink Varnish System for High-Speed Flexographic Paper Printing: Low Misting Colloid-Based Systems

Abstract

In this study, ink misting performance and print resistance properties were obtained and were related to varying ink formulations using combinations of special acrylic emulsions, colloidal, and water-soluble resins. The misting and tackness performance of the two different colloids were investigated using an IGT TackOScope 3 SC. It was observed that acrylic colloids significantly affect the ink misting performance. After choosing the right colloidal resin and the optimum balance with the emulsion and water-soluble acrylic resin has yielded an excellent varnish that can be used in high-speed flexographic machines up to 700 m/min without misting. In industrial trials, 111,600 m of printing was carried out without misting and resolubility problems. In this paper, in addition to developing an ink that can run on high-speed machines, problems such as low print quality, resolubility, dry rub resistance, and tackness were solved and confirmed using industrial tests. From a sustainability perspective, process efficiency increased, and ink and paper waste minimized.

Keywords

• water-based ink
• printing ink
• flexography
• colloidal resin
• misting
• paper packaging

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