The role of ink additives and their relationship

Ink is the main consumable for printing, consisting of pigments, binders and auxiliaries. In printing, in order to adapt the ink to various printing and working environments, it is often necessary to make appropriate adjustments to the ink to change certain properties of the ink. Adjusting the ink of the ink must use related auxiliaries, and the performance of the auxiliaries directly affects the various indicators of the ink. Therefore, it is necessary to understand the role of various additives and their interrelationships. This is the prerequisite for the correct adjustment of ink properties.

Oil varnish

The varnish is made from synthetic resin, dry vegetable oil and high-boiling kerosene. We usually use No. 6 oil to dilute the ink, increase the fluidity of the ink, reduce the viscosity, and make the ink work normally under different temperatures and environments.

Desiccant

Desiccant is also an indispensable important auxiliary material in printing inks, and is made of a mixture of metal salts such as cobalt, manganese, and lead. Its addition can promote the drying speed of the ink layer in the printing, and can also reduce the penetration of the ink into the interior of the paper, thereby increasing the glossiness of the printed product.

3. Lighter

Dilution agent is composed of white oil, maintenance oil, bright light and other components. It is mainly used to formulate light ink formulations. E.g:

Pale red, mainly lighter, slightly pink or orange;

Light blue, mainly with a lighter, slightly peacock blue.

In short, the lighter agent fades the hue of the ink without affecting its consistency, viscosity, and fluidity.

4. Releasing agent

The disbonding agent is formulated from aluminum stearate, white petrolatum, and resin oil. Adding ink can reduce the viscosity of the ink, especially for printing color covers or various coated paper inks. During the printing process, the amount of de-adhesive is adjusted according to the requirements.

In short, various auxiliary materials of inks have different effects in different environments and different printing states, and are closely related to the printability of inks and the quality of the final printed products.

Shanxi Province Tax Printing Factory Du Yongping
Source: "Printing Technology - Equipment and Special Printing"