Asian Journal of Chemistry; Vol. 23, No.

7 (2011), 2903-2906

Investigation of Different Solvents in Flexographic Printing Ink's

Effects to Print Quality on Coated and Uncoated Paper

OSMAN SIMSEKER

Department of Printing Education, Faculty of Technical Education, Marmara University, Goztepe-34722, Istanbul, Turkey

*Corresponding author: E-mail: [email protected]

(Received: 16 July 2010; Accepted: 7 March 2011) AJC-9695

There are different solvents used in flexographic inks. There are also different properties of solvents which affect the printing quality in
different ways. In this study, seven different flexographic ink with seven different solvents has been prepared. Prepared ink has been
printed with IGT F1 Flexo test machine on uncoated and coated papers. The viscosity changes according to the usage of different
solvents. This change also affects the printing quality. As a result, the fact that which solvent constitutes the best printing quality for
flexographic print on a coated and uncoated paper has been understood.

Key Words: Flexography, Solvent, Flexo ink, Paper, Print quality.

INTRODUCTION
Flexographic printing is a known method of reproduction
in which the master or printing plate is in the form of a relati-
vely flexible impression of the original that will be reproduced.
As raised areas, such flexible relief plates contain the image
portions which are to retain ink, subsequently transferred to a
desired surface. Such surface is commonly a paper or a conti-
nuous plastic or other synthetic film. Flexographic printing
also used for the reproduction of information on relatively
rough surfaces such as corrugated cardboard and so forth1.
Two types of papers are generally used in print production.
The first one is uncoated paper and the second one is coated
Fig. 1. Flexographic printing system
paper. Coated paper has surface sizing. Surface sizing is more
important for printing papers, as it improves printability charac- An inking system is provided via ink which is transferred
teristics of a paper. Ink penetration is more homogeneous on to the surface of the flexible relief plate. Such inking system
the coated paper. The surface of uncoated paper is not stable consisting of an anilox roller that may be etched or engraved
of printing ink2. on its outer surface by which the quantity of ink transported is
The most different property of the flexographic printing controlled and anilox roller is positioned in the way that it
system is its plate prepared by polymerization which is a type contacts to the surface of a fountain roller and the fountain
of relief printing. Flexographic printing system's plate has roller of which is at least partially immersed in a bath of liquid
printing areas that are higher than non-printing areas. The plate ink.
of flexographic printing system is reverse imaged3 (Fig. 1). When the printing station is energized to enable the
A paper or other substrate to be printed, is passed around rotation of the various rollers and cylinders, a clockwise rotation
a cylinder which is known as an impression cylinder that is in of fountain roller lifts a layer of ink which is transferred to the
relation to the plate cylinder is adjusted to allow the raised anilox roller rotating in an anticlockwise direction. The plate
areas of a flexible relief printing plate to contact the surface cylinder rotates in the clockwise direction and the film of ink
while the depressed areas of such flexible relief plate do not on the surface of the anilox roller is transferred onto the surface
contact the surface of the substrate. of the flexible relief plate on which it forms ink film. The ink
2904 Simseker Asian J. Chem.

film is formed in the raised printing areas and in the depressed TABLE-1
non-printing areas of the flexible relief plate. PREPARED INKS CODES AND SOLVENTS
As the anilox roller rotates in the clockwise direction, the Ink code Solvent
inked portions of the plate are brought progressively into the OE 3 Ethyl alcohol
OE 5 Ethyl acetate
printing zone where the substrate contacts to the raised portion OE 6 Ethoxy propanol
of the flexible relief plate. When the prior art methods are OE 7 Water
used; the ink transfers from the depressed portions of the plate OE 8 Methoxy propanol
to the substrate as well as transferring from the raised printing OE 9 Ethyl alcohol-ethyl acetate (50:50)
areas1. OE 13 Methoxy propyl acetate
A flexographic printing ink comprises a solvent, a
colorant, a binder and additives. Wherein the solvent is water 2.00
and organic solvents the colorant is a water-soluble dye or a 1.80
mixture of such dyes dissolved in the solvent. The binder is 1.60
selected from different resins dispersed in the solvent that is 1.40

Print density
above 7 pH (preferably at about pH 8-9) and the additives 1.20

include a wax selected from the group consisting of polyolefin 1.00

0.80
waxes, paraffin waxes and mixed polyolefin and paraffin waxes
0.60
dispersed in the solvent4. A flexographic printing ink is concen- 0.40
trated in order to prepare this printing ink comprising the 0.20
components mentioned above in which the amount of solvent 0
OE 3 OE 5 OE 6 OE 8 OE 9 OE 13
is reduced by about 1-20 % when it is compared with the
Different Inks have different solvents
amount of solvent in a flexographic printing ink ready for use5. (a)
Flexographic ink is normally described as thin ink or as
relatively low viscosity ink, by this way it is understood that 2.00

the ink is sufficiently fluid in character to flow in a bath and 1.80

1.60
assume a comparatively level surface. This allows the use of
1.40
Print density

an ink distributing system which usually consists of two roller

1.20
and one of which is known as the fountain roller, is partially 1.00
immersed in the bath of ink and it rotates in contact with 0.80
another roller known as the form roller. This form roller is 0.60
arranged to touch to the surface of the flexible printing plate 0.40
and transfer ink thereto1. 0.20
0
OE 3 OE 5 OE 6 OE 8 OE 9 OE 13
EXPERIMENTAL
Different Inks have different solvents
Varnish, paper adhesive and wax were added to 100 g (b)

blue ink paste of Seigwerk NC process colour series. Various Fig. 2. Print density of inks prepared with different solvents (a) coated
(b) uncoated
solvents were added to obtain several ink solutions which has
a viscosity of 14 (Table-1). Different amounts of solvents alter
With less solvent, the ink that reaches the viscosity of 14 has
the pigment concentration in the unit volume. The concentration
higher densitiy value than the ink that reaches the viscosity
was supported by density and L*, a*, b* measurements. All
of 14 with more solvent. The more the amount of solvent
test prints were applied on coated and uncoated paper with
decreases, the more the pigment concentration of ink increases.
IGT F1. The anilox roll has 60 = 150 lpi cell frequency and
Low pigment consantration causes low print density.
16 mL/m2 ink volume. Test prints were performed under room
For uncoated paper: When substrate is changed, due to
conditions. Viscosity measurements were done by using dyn
the adhesion of the substrate; slight changes have occurred in
4 cup. Density, L*, a*, b*, tone value measurements were
the order above and in the viscosity changes of the ink solution
carried out by using X-Rite SpectroEye Spectrophotometer.
with different solvents. The explanation made for the coated
Spectrophotometer's measurement conditions are observer
paper is also applicable to uncoated paper.
angle 2º, illumination D50 (5000 K), geometry 0/45. Polarize
∆E values of cyan standard for flexo are calculated
filter was used in density measurements but not in spectro-
according to ISO 12647-6:2006 (CIE L*, a*, b* values for
photometric measurements. Visual print quality was observed
the solids of the process colours)6.
with Olympus SZ61 Stereo Microscope by 50X magnification.
Test print conditions are anilox force 150 N/m, printing force ∆E = ∆L2 + ∆a 2 + ∆b 2
250 N/m and printing speed 0.30 m/s. 80 g/m2 uncoated paper The usage of prepared methoxypropanol has been under-
and 110 g/m2 coated paper were used in test prints. stood to meet the standard in the best way as the result of
For coated paper: Fig. 2 shows different solvents' ink calculations for coated paper (Table-2). ∆E values of 4-5 are
order of densities. Different solvents' viscosity in the same considered acceptable according to the ISO 12647-6:2006
ink paste and correspondingly the amount of the solvent used to stan- dard. All ink solutions are in the acceptable range except
obtain a solution of viscosity of 14, is different for each solvent. methoxy propyl acetate.
Vol. 23, No. 7 (2011) Different Solvents in Flexographic Printing Ink's Effects to Print Quality 2905

TABLE-2 100
∆E VALUES CALCULATED WITH STANDARD 90
AND INKS ON COATED PAPER

Halftoned areas on print

80
Inks L* a* b* ∆E 70
Standard 54 -36 -50 – 60
OE 3 52 -32 -55 5 Plate
50
OE 5 52 -35 -55 5 OE 3
40 OE 5
OE 6 55 -36 -54 4
30 OE 6
OE 8 56 -36 -52 2
OE 8
OE 9 59 -39 -51 5 20
OE 9
OE 13 60 -39 -49 6 10 OE 13

0
0 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80 90 100
Most of the solvents which are in compliance with ∆E Halftoned areas on plate
values for flexo printing standards ISO 12647-6:2006 are ethyl (a)
alcohol-ethyl acetate (50:50), methoxy propyl acetate and
ethoxy propanol for uncoated paper. The ones which are not 100

in compliance are ethyl alcohol and ethyl acetate. (Table-3). 90

Halftoned areas on print

80
70
TABLE-3 60
∆E VALUES CALCULATED WITH STANDARD 50 Plate
AND INKS ON UNCOATED PAPER OE 3
40 OE 5
Inks L* a* b* ∆E
30 OE 6
Standard 58 -25 -43 – OE 8
20
OE 3 54 -19 -48 8 OE 9

OE 5 53 -19 -47 8 10 OE 13

OE 6 57 -22 -45 3 0
0 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80 90 100
OE 8 55 -22 -46 5 Halftoned areas on plate
OE 9 61 -25 -44 3 (b)
OE 13 58 -22 -44 3 Fig. 3. Tone values of ink which is prepared with different solvents
(a) coated (b) uncoated

The reason of this is the porous structure of uncoated paper

The ink, which is prepared with ethyl acetate has low
on the adhesion of ink. Furthermore, the gloss of the coated
boiling point, a high drying velocity and low dot gain but it
paper is the reason of a higher ∆E value. Even though ethyl
dries fast on printing process. So ethyl acetate is not used alone
alcohol and ethyl acetate are not separate adequately, a 50:50
in flexo inks. Because of this ethyl alcohol, the combination
mixture of these meets the standard. This is because of the
with ethyl acetate (50:50) was used in Flexo test print inks.
increase in the L value of ethyl alcohol based ink and the
The ethyl acetate's lowest boiling point solvent and the highest
decrease in b value of ethyl acetate based ink that minimizes
boiling solvent methoxy propyl acetate's test prints' dot gain
the adverse effects of the solvents.
can be seen in Fig. 4.
Test print plate's tone values are between 0 and 100 %.
The tone values of ink are prepared with different solvents
that are measured with spectrophotometer (Fig. 3). The results
of Fig. 3, ethyl acetate based inks' tone values are approximate
to plate's tone values. Ethyl acetate has the least boiling point
and the highest evaporating rate (according to n-buthyl acetate
= 1) (Table-4). The ink which is prepared with water's ink past
sedimented. So it wasn't used for the test prints.
(a) (b)
TABLE-4
PROPERTIES OF SOLVENTS7
Density at 4 b.p. Evap. rate (Bu Flash
Solvent
ºC (ºC) Ac = 10) point (ºC)
Ethanol 0.79 81 33 13.9
Ethyl acetate 0.90 77 62 -5
Ethoxy propanol 0.90 132 4.9 49
Water 1.00 100 18 –
Methoxy propanol 0.96 140-50 3.4 47
Ethyl alcohol- 0.79-0.90 77-81 33-62 13.9-(–)5 (c) (d)
ethyl acetate
Fig. 4. 5 % half toned area test prints' microscopic photographs of (a) ethyl
(50:50)
acetate based ink on coated paper, (b) ethyl acetate based ink on
Methoxy propyl 0.92 121 8.3 36 uncoated paper (c) methoxy propyl acetate based ink on coated
acetate
paper (d) methoxy propyl acetate based ink on uncoated paper
2906 Simseker Asian J. Chem.

Fig. 4 shows that, ethyl acetate based ink's dot has not prepared with low boiling point solvent, has a high drying
time to gain because of its fast drying. On the other hand, velocity and worse dot shape.
methoxy propyl acetate based ink's dot has a very long time to Ink paste was dispersed in all solvents except water. Ink
dry because it's dot gain higher value than ethyl acetate based past was sedimented in water. Therefore water based ink was
ink. Methoxy propyl acetate based ink's test print has better not used in test prints.
dot shape than ethyl acetate based ink's. Better dot shape is Conclusion
important for printing. Because it affects the shade of colour.
Ethyl alcohol-ethyl acetate (50:50) based ink is the best
of all the other prepared inks when it is compared to all test
RESULTS AND DISCUSSION
prints measurements results. As an example to this kind of
Solvent volume has inverse proportion with pigment hybrid ink is ethyl alcohol-ethyl acetate (50:50) combination
concentration. Pigment concentration has diverse proportion based ink that has optimum print quality results. But ethyl
with print density. acetate damages the flexo printing plate. Therefore the ink
When substrate is changed, slight changes occur in the which is prepared with ethyl acetate may not be used for long
order above due to the adhesion of substrate and the changes run industrial flexo printing processes.
in viscosity of the ink solution with different solvents. The
explanation which is done for the coated paper is also applicable REFERENCES
to uncoated paper. 1. R.E. Pulfrey and C.D. Crowder, Process of Flexographic Printing Utilizing
Even though ethyl alcohol and ethyl acetate are not an Electirical Field, US Patent 3,661,081, May 9 (1972).
2. E.N. Gencoglu, O. Ozden and O. Simseker, Asian J. Chem., 22, 5561
separate adequately, a 50:50 mixture of these meets the
(2010).
standard. This is because of the increase in the L value of 3. L. Harri and H. Czichon, Microsc. Res. Tech., 69, 675 (2006).
ethyl alcohol based ink and the decrease in b value of ethyl 4. R.E. Todd, Printing Inks, Pira International, edn. 3 (2000).
acetate based ink that minimizes the adverse effects of the 5. E. Wallstrom and P.B. Lund and A. Helgesen, Flexographic Printing
Ink, US Patent 5,534,049, July 9 (1996).
solvents.
6. K.-H. Meyer, Flexo Printing Technology, Verlag Coating Thomas & Co.,
The ink, which is prepared with high boiling point solvent, end. 4 (2000).
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