1. The Garvey Group - Capabilities - Plastics Page 1 of 1
Home
Capabilities
Distribution
eCommerce
iTask What are UV Inks?
About TGG The key to UV printing rests with inks that have been specially formulated to cure
FTP Servers under ultraviolet light. Like conventional inks, UV inks contain resins and pigments.
But in place of solvents, they contain monomers and oligomers, small carbon-based
Contact
molecules that have the capacity to form into long chains called polymers. If
Site Map
polymers are like a chain,
Garvey Green then monomers (which
provide the ink's adhesive
properties) are like the
links in that chain. To get
them to start forming
chains, UV inks contain
highly light-sensitive
components called
photoinitiators, which cure
within seconds after being
exposed to UV light.
UV coatings
Need a coating? We can
coat an entire sheet or just
a portion (a spot) with a UV
coating. The coating is a
clear substance that reacts
the way UV inks do when exposed to UV light -- it cures very quickly. UV coating
has a distinctive high-gloss, wet-look finish.
Why use UV?
• Environmentally friendly. Since UV materials contain no solvents, there
are no Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs) created in the curing process.
Some conventional inks contain solvents up to 70%.
• Efficient. UV curing time is almost non-existent which allows a faster
workflow than conventional inks
• Controlled finish. You are using coated stock and want a satin (softer,
duller) finish. UV inks will give you this look on coated stock saving you the
step of a dull varnish.
http://www.thegarveygroup.com/pages/capabilities/uv.html 4/5/2011