The newly published NPIRI Printing Ink Handbook is now available. Published in collaboration with the National Association of Printing Ink Manufacturers (NAPIM) and the NPIRI Board of Directors, the new handbook has been expanded to include more than 250 pages. The Printing Ink Handbook has been extensively revised and provides an excellent overview of all types of printing ink. The Handbook contains chapters on a number of key areas including printing processes, ink formulation, raw materials, lithographic inks, flexographic inks, gravure inks and non-impact inks, as well as a glossary of terms.

“I am excited to see the NPIRI Printing Ink Handbook completed and in print,” said Joe Cichon, senior vice president manufacturing, INX International Ink Company. “It has been over 20 years since the 5th Edition of the Printing Ink Handbook was released by NAPIM in 1988. The original handbook was a great tool over the years to introduce the printing ink industry to new workers and customers. The 6th Edition published in 2009 is really a totally new book and has been improved tremendously. The content has not only been updated, but expanded and improved to include much more detail on each element.

“The new Printing Ink Handbook is over 250 pages,” Mr. Cichon continued. “It is filled with great photos, and illustrations. It covers all the key components of the printing ink business. This manual was the result of several years of effort coordinated by NAPIM staff members like John Daugherty and George Fuchs, but done in a very well coordinated collaborative manner with key experts in the printing ink industry who contributed text, editing time and illustrations for the book. The handbook covers the science and the mechanics of developing and manufacturing printing inks. It not covers key aspects of the inks, but also the printing processes that use these inks. The book should be a required reference to anyone in the graphic arts, ink or coatings business. It is valuable to technicians, sales reps, machine operators and administrative personnel in the printing ink industry.”

“The Printing Ink Handbook has been substantially expanded and updated from its earlier version,” said Lisa Fine, technical director at Joules Angstrom. “Info about rheology, ink jet inks, environmental, health and safety issues – is all new. The sections dealing with each ink type are expanded and more detail is given. I advocate that any manufacturer of ink, raw material supplier, educator, and even printers who are interested in the basics of printing ink get this manual.”

The objective of the updated handbook is to provide introductory level technical information to those interested in printing inks. The book is intended for people working for printing ink manufacturers, suppliers to the industry, printers, students, people working in related industries, such as paper and pressroom manufacturing and print buyers.

“The new NPIRI Printing Ink Handbook is an excellent addition to our library,” said Joe Schlinkert, technical director, Color Resolutions International, LLC. “We plan to use it as a supplement at our technical training programs for new and existing employees.”

“The collaborative effort of NAPIM and the NPIRI Board of Directors to the update the Printing Ink Handbook was clearly time well spent based on the result,” said Rich Czarnecki, senior vice president and chief technical officer, Superior Printing Ink Company. “The Printing Ink Handbook is a must-have for any company involved with the graphic arts industry.”

The Printing Ink Handbook is available for purchase on NAPIM’s web site at www.napim.org.