A New Choice For Preprint Inks: The Environmental And Performance Revolution Of Water-Based Inks
Publish Time: 2025-09-10
In the packaging and printing industry, preprint technology, with its high efficiency and high quality, has become a core process in areas such as corrugated cardboard and plastic packaging. The performance of ink, the "soul" of preprint technology, directly determines the quality, environmental friendliness, and production efficiency of printed products. In recent years, with increasingly stringent global environmental regulations, water-based inks, with their advantages of zero VOC emissions, non-toxicity, safety, and ease of use, have gradually replaced traditional solvent-based inks, becoming the new benchmark in the preprint industry.
I. Water-Based Inks: The Engine for Environmental Upgrades in Preprint Processes
1. Zero VOC Emissions, Solving Environmental Challenges
Traditional solvent-based inks release large amounts of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) during the printing process, polluting the air, harming worker health, and potentially posing a fire hazard. Water-based inks, on the other hand, use water as their primary solvent and contain only small amounts of alcohol additives, resulting in virtually zero VOC emissions. For example, after a food packaging company switched to water-based ink, the VOC concentration in its workshop dropped from 200mg/m³ to below 10mg/m³, fully complying with EU REACH regulations and China's HJ 371-2018 standard.
2. Safe and non-toxic, safeguarding food packaging safety
Preprinting processes are commonly used in high-hygiene applications such as food and pharmaceuticals. Water-based inks utilize water-based acrylic resins, inorganic pigments, and food-grade additives. They are free of heavy metals (such as lead and mercury), phthalates, and vulcanizers, and are certified to EU EN71-3, RoHS, and US ASTM D6400. Tests conducted by a dairy company showed that packaging printed with water-based inks released no harmful substances at temperatures ranging from -18°C to 120°C, ensuring product safety.
3. Reduced flammability, significantly improving production safety
Solvent-based inks contain flammable solvents, requiring explosion-proof equipment and strictly controlled storage environments. Water-based inks, on the other hand, are non-flammable, completely eliminating fire risks. After switching to water-based ink, a logistics company relaxed its warehouse temperature requirement from 25°C to 40°C, eliminating the need for explosion-proof equipment and saving over 500,000 yuan in annual safety costs.
II. Performance Breakthrough: How Do Water-Based Inks Meet the High Demands of Pre-Print?
1. High-Speed Printing Compatibility: The Leap from the Lab to the Production Line
Early water-based inks, due to their slow drying speed, were difficult to use with high-speed pre-printing equipment (such as flexographic printing presses with speeds of up to 450 m/min). However, through technological advancements, the new generation of water-based inks utilizes fast-drying acrylic resins and nano-pigments, combined with a hot air drying system, allowing them to cure in just 0.2 seconds. Tests conducted by a beer packaging company showed that water-based inks dried thoroughly at a printing speed of 200 m/min, with no sticking, resulting in a 30% improvement in overall efficiency.
2. Color Expressiveness: A Transformation from "Usable" to "Stunning"
Water-based inks were once criticized for their low gloss and narrow color gamut. Today, through the introduction of highly dispersible pigments and leveling agents, gloss levels are approaching those of solvent-based inks. For example, cosmetic packaging printed with water-based ink achieves a specular gloss of 85% under D65 standard illuminant (compared to 90% for solvent-based inks), with a 20% improvement in color saturation, meeting the stringent aesthetic requirements of high-end brands.
3. Weather Resistance and Adhesion: Evolution from "Fragile" to "Tough"
Preprinted packaging often endures the rigors of transportation, humid environments, and low-temperature storage. By optimizing the resin molecular structure (e.g., by introducing crosslinkers), water-based inks significantly improve the ink's water, abrasion, and chemical resistance. Tests conducted by a home appliance company showed that cartons printed with water-based inks showed no fading or peeling after 30 days of storage in a 90% humidity environment. Furthermore, in a -20°C to 80°C hot and cold cycle test, the ink maintained 5B adhesion (the highest grade).
III. Cost and Efficiency: The Hidden Benefits of Water-Based Inks
1. Overall Cost Reduction: Environmental Investments Transform into "Return on Investment"
Although water-based inks are 10%-15% more expensive per unit than solvent-based inks, their usage is 20% lower (due to their higher solids content), and they eliminate the need for VOC treatment equipment, resulting in a 40% reduction in annual maintenance costs. One carton manufacturer calculated that after switching to water-based inks, printing costs per square meter dropped from 0.32 yuan to 0.28 yuan, resulting in annual savings of over 2 million yuan.
2. Improved Production Efficiency: From "Passive Compliance" to "Active Competition"
Water-based inks require less frequent plate cleaning (solvent-based inks require cleaning every two hours) and dry quickly, reducing downtime. Statistics from one e-commerce packaging company show that after switching to water-based inks, their Overall Equipment Utilization (OEE) increased from 75% to 88%, and order delivery cycles were shortened by two days.
IV. Expanding Application Scenarios: From "Niche Choice" to "Industry Standard"
1. Food Packaging: A Double Guarantee of Safety and Efficiency
Water-based inks are widely used in packaging for dairy products, meat, snacks, and more. For example, a dairy giant has fully adopted water-based inks for its liquid milk packaging. Not only has this ink passed SGS food contact material testing, but its high printing speed and low scrap rate have also increased daily production capacity on a single production line by 15%.
2. Pharmaceutical Packaging: A Double Upgrade in Compliance and Quality
Water-based inks comply with China's "Regulations on the Administration of Pharmaceutical Packaging Materials and Containers" and ISO 15378, and can be used for printing on medicine boxes, instruction manuals, and other applications. A pharmaceutical company reported that medicine boxes printed with water-based inks showed no ink migration or odor after accelerated aging tests (60°C/75% RH for 30 days), ensuring drug safety.
3. Logistics Packaging: A Balance of Durability and Cost-Effectiveness
Water-based inks have performed exceptionally well in applications such as corrugated boxes and courier bags. For example, a logistics company used water-based ink to print courier bags. The ink layer remained intact after being folded 100 times in temperatures ranging from -10°C to 50°C. Furthermore, because the ink is non-flammable, warehouse storage density increased by 30%, and storage costs per unit area decreased by 18%.
V. Smart and Customizable Water-Based Inks
With the rise of digital printing technology, water-based inks are integrating with processes such as UV curing and nanoprinting to develop new features such as variable data printing and anti-counterfeiting printing. For example, a security printing company has launched a water-based fluorescent ink that can reveal hidden information under UV light for use in anti-counterfeiting labels and receipts.
Meanwhile, customized services for water-based inks are becoming increasingly sophisticated. Suppliers can adjust ink viscosity, drying speed, and color formulations to meet customer needs, and even develop specialized products such as biodegradable and low-temperature inks. For example, a biodegradable materials company collaborated with an ink manufacturer to develop a water-based ink suitable for PLA film, reducing the packaging's carbon footprint over its entire lifecycle by 60%.
Water-Based Ink: A Green Revolution in Pre-Printing
From environmental compliance to performance breakthroughs, from cost optimization to expanded application scenarios, water-based ink is reshaping the pre-printing industry as an all-rounder. For businesses, choosing water-based ink is not only an inevitable choice for meeting the "dual carbon" goals but also a key step in boosting competitiveness and expanding into high-end markets. In the future, with continued technological innovation, water-based ink will undoubtedly drive pre-printing towards greater efficiency and sustainability.
