Comparative Print Quality Analysis Of Solid Ink Density Of Solvent And Uv-Based Inks Used In Flexographic Printing Process

Abstract

This research paper conducts a comparative evaluation of print quality using two different ink types i.e. UV-curable and Solvent-based inks printed with the Flexographic Printing Process on Polypropylene (PP) substrates. Polypropylene is extensively utilized in packaging applications but poses printing challenges due to its inherently low surface energy which affects ink adhesion and print clarity. To assess how each ink performs on PP, Solid Ink Density (SID) test was carried out to quantify the print quality. The findings reveal that UV curable inks deliver higher SID as they exhibit higher ink holdout after the curing. Conversely solvent based inks dry through evaporation which is a slower process that tends to cause more ink diffusion resulting in less dense inks.