UV Printing: A New Technology In Packaging And Printing

What is UV Printing?

UV printing is a digital type of printing that uses ultraviolet light to cure or dry ink. The printer continues to apply ink onto a surface, and the Ultraviolet light follows closely, drying or curing the ink immediately.

This technology allows for direct printing on virtually any flat or 3D media. It also makes it possible to quickly customize products. Ultraviolet is used in packaging solutions companies because of this. When the UV ink is printed directly onto a substrate, it becomes solid from the liquid when it is exposed to ultraviolet light.

How does it work?

Inks containing special solvents evaporate in the atmosphere after being applied to the material during printing. Evaporation of solvents allows for the absorption of ink in the material. Once the solvents have evaporated, ink dries up and leaves a digital image. To aid drying, spray powders might be needed. The printing process cannot be used on plastics, acrylics, and foil.

Ultra-Violet (UV) Printing - Procedure

The ink is dried by UV printing using ultraviolet light. The printer spreads the ink onto the material's surface. The UV light follows from behind, drying it instantly. The trend in printing right now is ultra-violet printing. It is more sustainable than traditional printing.

Direct printing is possible on virtually any 3-D media. This allows for quick product customization. When the UV ink is exposed to ultraviolet light, the ink changes from liquid to solid almost immediately. As there is very little evaporation of the solvents and almost no absorption of the ink into the paper, you can print virtually on whatever stuff you want using UV inks.

Because UV inks are quick drying and do not release any VOCs into nature, UV printing can be considered green and safe for the environment. It also leaves little carbon footprint.

LED UV Printing

Led-UV printing is the advanced version of the UV Printing technology generating the wavelength at a light spectrum of 385-395nm (nanometre). This light is safer than its counterpart. The results are much more effective than traditional UV printing.

Led UV printing is definitely more cost-effective in many ways. Firstly, unlike the UV printing technique, led UV doesn't need mercury lamps to cure the inks, so the absence of these makes it safer and cheaper because the light emitted is in the UV-A range and the same is secured than its counterpart. Second, it consumes less power than traditional UV printing.

LED UV printing provides a long-standing quality that every luxury business is aiming for. High-quality finishing can be applied to the printed products, allowing the consumer to enhance their colors. This will leave a lasting impression on the buyer. This printing technology is reliable and can be used for both the FMCG (pharmaceutical) and FMCG (FMCG) industries because it takes less time to dry.

LED-UV printing can be considered eco-friendly because there is no volatile organic compound (VOC) emissions during the printing process. For companies to invest less in infrastructure, LED-UV printing requires less capital. The end result is a higher quality product that has a shiny and glossy finish.

UV Print Technology for Food Packaging Industry

Personalization is big business worldwide and digital UV printing can help you meet that demand, increase your product sales, and remain competitive.

Traditional printing methods can be dangerous because food could get contaminated if ink substances are transferred to food items. These inks were never cured, and there was always a risk of contamination. The final packaging of the food was also not up to standard.

It has proven to be very successful in UV printing food packaging. After the printing process, UV inks cure leaving behind no harmful solvents which can contaminate the food. Food manufacturers all over the world are using this method for food packaging. They also maintain high-quality standards when packaging food items.

UV Printing for Pharmaceutical Industry

Every label is different. Different applications will require different printing technology. Each label is unique, regardless of whether it's for pharma, sports or food. The pharmaceutical industry is using UV printing as a security printing method.

Pharmaceutical labels include drug and medical labels, among others. They can be counterfeited and forgeried more often than any other type of label. In order to prevent such bad practices, UV printing has been widely used in the pharmaceutical sector. This can be further enhanced by serialization.

Invisible UV inks are used for pharmaceutical printing. It is one of the most successful techniques to prevent counterfeiting in the pharmaceutical industry. These inks are not visible through the naked eye but can be seen under the influence of Ultraviolet LEDs. These invisible UV inks are used to identify pharmaceutical products and prevent them from being counterfeited.

The Untold Benefits of UV Printing

Ultraviolet printing is undoubtedly the future of packaging and printing. As suggested by Grand Prints, it is economical and ecological and offers business-generating benefits such as:

A wider range of print applications: LEDs have a lower heat output and are cooler to the touch. Because of this, they can be used for a wide range of printing applications. You can print easily on heat-sensitive substrates, such as thin slides or self-adhesive sheets.

Quicker than Conventional Printing: UV printing is much faster than conventional printing. You don't have to wait for the ink to dry as the UV ink dries during the photochemical process. It can More helpful hints be done almost immediately.

Cost-Effective: You can save lots of money as it offers faster drying time. Because the finished product is able to dry faster, it can be printed more quickly. This technique does not require any aqueous coatings as is the case with conventional inks.

A vibrant finish: UV printing produces a more vivid finish than traditional printing because the ink is not allowed to soak into the material/paper. Photo-realistic printing is achievable using this technique.

The bottom line

UV printing is a hot industry trend. This industry trend will only continue to grow and find applications in many more industries. UV printing is the future of packaging and printing.