Various UV Curing Methods in Offset Printing

Individual printers and the entire printing industry stand to reap greatly from any developments in offset printing technology so UV curing methods have become increasingly popular in offset printing. UV curing is used for offset printing applications like packaging, labeling, and business-related printing.

Recently, however, thanks to improved low energy, UV has become more efficient in offset printing. You can either buy a whole new offset press that already has LED-UV curing built in, or you can upgrade your current press with it. Read on for the different UV Curing methods used in offset printing.

What Is UV Curing in Offset Printing?

Conventional inks based on solvents are used in traditional offset printing. These inks evaporate and dry allowing them to absorb into the material being printed. The process of absorption is what causes a reduced vibrancy in the colors which is commonly known as printers' "dry back" in the printing sector and you can easily notice it uncoated paper.

The process of UV in offset printing uses specially formulated inks that dry and cure when exposed to UV sources in a printing press.

UV inks are known for their vibrant and bold appearance, which is way better than that of conventional offset inks. All this is thanks to the fact that UV inks have little to no dry back.

After the UV Curing does its job, the sheets are directly sent to the delivery stacker. This way the process is smoother and there is a quicker turnaround as there is less room for error and the lines are more crisp.

What Is Offset Printing?

Ever wondered how large bulks of top-notch materials are printed? Offset printing is the answer. This versatile option can be used for anything from business cards to magazines and brochures. Offset printing can be commercial or packaging. In commercial offset printing, the print is the main product.

Examples of final products under this category are booklets, mailings, magazines, brochures, etc. UV Curing goes a long way in the expansion of commercial offset printing. The packaging offset printing field deals with packaging solutions like cartons, sleeves, paper, etc. These products are a huge part of the consumer market  The Arc UV technology is widely used in this sector.

Additionally, LED UV curing offers significant advantages when printing on unique materials such as foil board, PET, and PP.

What are UV Curing Methods Used in Offset Printing?

The traditional method of UV Curing for offset printing typically involves curing the inks using mercury vapor lamps. However, this method is known to be highly energy-intensive and can also result in the production of ozone. Fast curing methods like HR-UV, LEC-UV, H-UV, and LE-UV,  use iron-mercury in curing inks with higher reactivity using way less energy than conventional UV lamps.

They cure inks mainly in the UV-A section, and because of this, they operate at a different wavelength than conventional UV lamps. One advantage is that the ozone emission is significantly reduced given it is only present in Vacuum-UV - UV-C.

It is possible to reduce the number of lamps used in the printing machine by using special inks' high reactivity as well as the lamps' higher emission energy in the UVA - UVB range. You can save energy up to 70%/.

UV LED Curing Advantages on Offset Printing Industry

· As mentioned, the UV LED curing light used in offset printing ink curing processes does not produce ozone or short waves during the process. This reduces the need for additional devices such as deodorizing equipment or exhaust ducts.

· UV-led curing is great for offset printing due to its luminous efficiency, energy efficiency, and high effectiveness.

· This curing option is good for your business as you can achieve faster turnaround so you can meet bulk printing orders.

· The UV Curing is designed to work efficiently in offset printing, providing greater flexibility. You can adjust the light for products of different sizes

Take Away

UV, low-energy UV, and LED-UV curing methods all require inks that react differently with various wavelengths of UV to complete the curing process. It is important to note that while there are significant energy savings when it comes to UV Curing for offset printing, there are also costs that come with the process.

Regardless, these curing methods continue to grow in popularity among drying technologies reason being they are highly energy-efficient, enable faster curing, and allow for easy printing on a wide range of delicate materials. IUV is your best bet for UV Curing equipment for offset printing.