If a printer hasn't mentioned ultraviolet (UV) inks to you yet, it won't be long.

 

That's because printers are excited about the considerable benefits that printing with UV offset printing inks can afford their company, including faster turnaround time (UV inks take seconds to dry on press) and lower environmental impact (UV inks don't use solvents and produce lower emissions than conventional inks). Although these advantages are real, they don't mean you should start using UV inks on every project.

 

UV inks aren't the same kind of inks used in traditional printing. Rather, they are dual-state substances: solids that remain in a liquid form until exposed to UV light. The ink is applied during the printing process on a press, in the same way as conventional ink, but then the ink is dried within seconds by lights mounted on the press.

 

Since the UV printing ink dries as the sheet passes under the light, the sheet is ready for the next production step as soon as it comes off the press. With conventional inks, the printer must allow the sheet to dry completely, which often means overnight, so using UV inks allows the printer to get more work done in less time.

 

Some conventional printing inks contain chemical solvents -- in some inks, up to 70 percent. As conventional inks dry, the solvents evaporate and volatile organic compounds (VOC) are released.

 

These compounds are considered environmental hazards, and some localities have passed laws to limit the amount of VOC released into the air or the maximum amount of VOCs in products. If a printer can eliminate solvent-based inks from the workplace, he can lessen an environmental hazard and in doing so may also comply with local regulations.