Printing Ink Solution
PRODUCTS
- Call us at : +91-22- 66139999
- Email us at : info@vipulorganics.com
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
Printing inks use organic pigments as the primary colourant in most modern ink systems. For water-based flexographic and gravure inks, fine-particle Azo and Phthalocyanine pigment dispersions are used. Solvent-based liquid inks use pigment powders or solvent-dispersible pigments. UV-curable inks use specially treated pigments compatible with photo-initiator systems. Certain specialty inks — such as those for paper, stationery, or security printing — may also use dyes (Direct, Acid, or Basic Dyes) dissolved in aqueous or solvent carriers.
For high-quality printing inks, pigments must have a very fine, controlled particle size (for sharp print definition and gloss), high colour strength (to achieve vivid shades at low pigment loading), excellent transparency (especially for process colour printing — Cyan, Magenta, Yellow), good rheological compatibility with ink vehicles, resistance to flocculation in the ink system, and strong lightfastness for the intended end use (packaging, labels, publications).
Water-based inks use water as the primary carrier and are considered more environmentally friendly with lower VOC emissions. They are widely used in flexographic printing on paper, board, and some films. Solvent-based inks use organic solvents as carriers, providing faster drying, better adhesion on non-porous substrates like plastic films, and superior gloss and print quality in gravure printing. The pigments and dye formulations used in each system must be specially optimised for compatibility with the respective carrier.
For flexographic printing, water-based pigment dispersions with fine particle size, low viscosity, and good compatibility with water-based binders are recommended — typically grades with D50 particle size below 1 micron. For gravure printing, pigments with high transparency, excellent solvent compatibility, and fine particle size are preferred. Phthalocyanine Blue 15.3 and 15.4 for cyan, Pigment Red 57.1 and 122 for magenta, and Pigment Yellow 13 and 83 for yellow are commonly used grades in both processes.
India has a growing number of pigment manufacturers supplying the global printing ink industry. Vipul Organics Ltd. is a leading manufacturer and supplier of pigments for printing inks in India, offering the SunTone® organic pigment powder range and the SunAqua® water-based pigment dispersion range — specifically developed for water-based flexographic and aqueous ink systems. Their products cover the full shade range required for process and spot colour printing inks, with consistent quality suited for demanding printing applications.