There are three main types of inkjet inks – solvent-based, water-based and UV-curable inks. There are advantages to each of these technologies, but the choice is usually dependent on the application. However, inkjet ink specialists say that water-based technologies do seem to have a slight edge now due to environmental benefits, and UV LED is also enjoying growth.

David Lopez, product manager, Professional Imaging, Epson America, Inc., observed that the landscape of ink technology is dynamic, with each offering its own advantages dependent on application use.

“However, we’ve seen outdoor, water-based ink becoming more popular, due to its versatility and increasing color gamut over the last year or so. Water-based ink’s adaptability has made it a preferred choice for various applications, ranging from banners to stickers and vehicle wraps,” Lopez said.

“Similarly, UV-curable ink has experienced a surge in popularity, fueled by evolving technological advances,” Lopez continued. “Historically, UV-curable ink faced challenges with cracking when subjected to bending or high-friction environments. Recent technological advances with the ink chemistry include a new semi-flexible formulation that allows the ink to flex and move without cracking, and cures almost instantly, greatly reducing the VOCs and allowing all UV-curable ink to be GREENGUARD Gold-Certified. This expands application use greatly for UV-curable ink, as it now adheres to a wider variety of substrates and is often used for rigid applications, such as phone covers, as well as flat acrylic output.”

“All technologies have their own application range,” Danny Mertens, corporate communications manager for Xeikon, said. “We see a growing trend towards water-based technology for sustainability reasons.”

“Although growth is dependent on application, we feel UV LED is the growth graphic technology and DTG (direct-to-garment) water-based is taking off,” said Richard Bowles, president and CEO of Nazdar. “UV and water-based will become the leading technology and the choice of which is dependent on application. For example, water-based technology is dominant for DTG.”

Andrea Connor, worldwide solutions marketing manager, Kodak, said that each technology has its own specific features and advantages.

“However, water-based technology with nanoparticulate pigment inks and substrate-specific, ink-receptive primers, as implemented by Kodak with our continuous inkjet solutions, offers a wealth of application and sustainability benefits,” Connor added.

“The use of water-based (aqueous) KODACHROME and KODAK EKTACOLOR Inks, as well as water-based KODAK OPTIMAX Primers, makes it possible to achieve the highest levels of quality and long-lasting prints on an extremely wide range of substrates at production speeds,” Connor pointed out. “Kodak’s inks and primers do not contain any VOCs or environmentally hazardous substances, which also benefits sustainability and improves the working environment for digital press operators. OPTIMAX Primers improve sustainability even further by facilitating deinkability, thus increasing the recyclability of printed products.”

Simon Daplyn, product & marketing manager, Sun Chemical, said that the ink technology is normally dictated by the application, process, and performance requirements in terms of substrate, drying/fixation, and resistance properties needed, as well as any regulatory or compliance needs.

“However, recent years have seen a strong trend towards development of water-based solutions due to their perceived sustainability benefits and raw material selection for compliance with certain standards in textiles, packaging, and other markets,” added Daplyn. “In general, it is best to work with an ink supplier alongside the printhead provider and OEM system builder to ensure the right technology fit for the specific application and process requirements.”

“It is my belief the ink technology choices as they relate to the carrier fluid (i.e. solvent, UV, water etc.,) are related to the application,” Paul Edwards, VP of the Digital Division of INX International, observed. “There are many factors involved in the choice of ink technologies and they all must be considered. There are drawbacks, and the benefits of all three must be taken into account if you are looking to provide the most suitable technology for a customer and their application. From an INX perspective, we have a full range of different chemistries to work with. That helps us provide the correct answer for an application, rather than us trying to shoehorn it in the one technology you may have.”