Solar Inks has launched Earthinks, a range of environmentally friendly water-based flexographic and screen printing inks that it considers to be the most natural solution on the market today.
The new range offers sustainability benefits as well as high performance and is a cost effective alternative to standard inks.
Sustainability and environmental concerns are entering a new phase, where there is now an expectation on the part of brands and end-users to monitor the impact of their packaging and printing throughout the supply chain. These concerns extend to using renewable resources, non-damaging chemicals, waste management and resource efficient packaging.
To address these issues, the company has developed new inks from sustainable and non-polluting resources. They have been designed to provide printers and converters with high quality and versatile inks that can be used to further achieve their environmental goals, while meeting customer expectations.
‘Earthinks marks an important development in sustainable printing,’ said Jonathan Mack, owner. ‘We have worked hard to provide affordable, high-quality inks that meet today’s demands for environmental care as well as matching that with environmentally friendly packaging. In addition, our recycling programme ensures minimal waste and good value for customers.’
The new range is made from natural ingredients including soy, starch, sugars, dextrin, tree resin, cellulose and other polysaccharides. Natural waxes are used to replace standard petroleum-based synthetics, and natural oils are used to defoam instead of mineral oils. Earthinks are glycol and silicone-free, contain no heavy metals and have near zero VOC levels.
The inks have been developed with a low viscosity and low foaming levels to deliver sharp images with lower dot gain than standard inks. It does this while offering stability over long runs due to its pH independent technology.
The range can be used on a wide variety of substrates to print corrugated and flexible packaging, labels, envelopes and a full range of papers from till rolls and paper cups to paper bags and gift wrap, including recycled stocks.
The inks offer more than just an environmentally sustainable alternative to standard inks. A recycling programme saves time and waste, while online colour matching and product ordering ensure a streamlined and efficient customer experience. What’s more, customers can access their full order history online, evaluate stocks and usage and review technical service visit reports.
