What Type Of Ink Is Used in Rotary Gravure Printing?

Rotogravure printing uses a wide ink types, its selection depends on the substrate material, the required printing effect and environmental requirements. The following is a detailed analysis of the main types, characteristics and application scenarios of inks:
1.Solvent-Based Ink (Traditional Mainstream)
Composition and characteristics
Volatile organic solvents (such as toluene, xylene and butanone) are used as diluents, and these inks contain pigments, binders (resins) and additives.
Strengths: Fast drying (solvent evaporation curing), strong adhesion, suitable for non-absorbent substrates (such as plastic film).
Weaknesses: Contains VOCs (volatile organic compounds), requires exhaust gas treatment equipment and high ambient pressure.
Application
Flexible packaging printing: food packaging bags (BOPP/PET composite film), medical aluminum foil bags, packaging of everyday chemical product packaging.
Label printing: beverage bottle labels and alcohol labels require water resistance, oil resistance and abrasion resistance.
Environmental improvement
Development of low volatility or non-volatile organic solvent inks, such as the use of environmentally friendly solvents ethyl acetate, glycol monomethyl ether. Hydrating Ink (Environmentally Friendly Trend)
Composition and characteristics
Water is a diluent containing acrylic acid, pigments and additives.
Strengths: Low VOC content (<5%), environmental compliance, reduced air pollution.
Weaknesses: (infrared or hot air drying is required), high substrate surface tension on the substrate.
Purpose: Carton Packaging: Food and drug carton, requires FDA and other food grade certification.
Corrugated preprinting: large solid printing requires water-based ink, cost-effective, environmentally friendly.
packaging substrates: Hydrating ink can penetrate the bottom layer, such as kraft paper and non-woven cloth, to form a strong ink layer.
Technological Breakthroughs: the development of fast drying water-based ink, by adjusting the molecular weight of resin or adding additives to shorten drying time.
3. UV Ink (High Performance Requirements)
Composition and characteristics
It consists of photosensitive resin, reactive monomer, light initiators and pigments cured by ultraviolet light.
Advantages: instantaneous curing (seconds), solvent-free evaporation, thick ink layer, good abrasion resistance. Weaknesses: High equipment cost (UV light box required), expensive ink.
Application
High-end packaging: high glossiness, scratch-resistant cosmetics box, alcohol packaging.
Special substrate: Metal plates, glass, ceramics, UV inks has excellent adhesion.
Counterfeit printing: using special pigments such as optics, optics and thermosensitive pigments to achieve stereoscopic security.
Innovation Directions: Development of low-odor, low-migration UV inks to meet food packaging safety requirements.
IV. INTRODUCTION INTRODUCTION Other Specialty Inks
Alcohol-Soluble Inks
Ingredients: Contains nitrocellulose resin and solvents such as ethanol and isopropyl alcohol.
Features: High drying speed between solvent and water inks, low VOC content.
Purpose: For alcohol and alcohol packaging, residual solvent testing is required.
Solvent-Free Inks
Ingredients: 100% solid (e.g. polyurethane resin), heated and melted before printing.
Features: Volatile organic compounds are not emitted, but special equipment (e.g., solvent-free laminators) is required.
Uses: Flexible packaging laminate films, food packaging lining, etc.
Ingredients: Contains conductive particles, such as silver powder and copper powder, used to form circuits through gravure printing.
Purpose: For RFID label, flexible circuit boards, high precision color matching required.
Key factors in Ink Selection.
Substrate Material
Plastic film (BOPP, PET): solvent or UV ink preferred; water-based ink requires surface treatment.
Paper: Water-based inks are cost-effective and environmentally friendly; solvent inks are used for special effects (e.g. pearlescent).
Metal/ glass: UV inks has the best adhesion.
Printing Effect Requirements: glossiness and high abrasion resistance: UV inks.
Environmental protection: water-soluble or alcohol-soluble ink.
Counterfeit Features: Inks with special pigments (such as thermochromic and optically variable inks).
Production Efficiency and cost
Bulk order: Solvent-based inks is cheap.
Small batch/ bespoke order: UV inks can quickly change colors and reduce downtime.
VI. INTRODUCTION INTRODUCTION Industry Trends and recommendations
Environmental priority: the market share of water-based inks has been increasing year by year, especially in food packaging. Performance upgrades: UV inks is developing in the direction of low odor and high flexibility to meet the needs of flexible packaging.
Intelligent Application: Digital gravure printing and special ink combination, can achieve variable data printing.
Recommendations:
For low cost, fast printing speed, the environment is not strict ink, solvent ink is an option.
For environmental certification (e.g. FDA and EUREACH), water-or alcohol-based inks are preferred.
For printing speed and ink layer quality requirements are extremely high, UV inks is the best choice.