In our fast-paced modern world, time is of the essence. This is a somewhat tired cliché, but it is certainly true in the printing industry. Many, many print projects require fast turnarounds to meet critical, time-sensitive deadlines. To make these fast turnarounds possible, commercial printers use a technology known as ultraviolet curing or UV printing.
Traditional petroleum-based and soy-based inks require significant drying time before any additional processes, such as folding or binding, can be applied to the piece. This necessary drying time, ranging anywhere from 24 to 48 hours, insures the ink doesn’t smear or smudge when the paper is subsequently handled. However, many last minute printing jobs require turnaround in a matter of hours, not days. Hence, ultraviolet curing technology was developed.
What is UV Printing?
What exactly is UV printing? Using inks formulated to dry rapidly when exposed to ultraviolet light, as a piece is printed it is exposed to the UV light and comes off the press with the ink already cured and dried. This, of course, means drying time becomes a non-issue and printing jobs can be turned around much faster.
In addition to rapid drying time, there are other benefits to using the UV process. Because the ink dries instantly, it does not bleed into the paper stock; text and images remain sharp. UV-cured ink is resistant to smudges, smears, scuffs or scratches that often appear in non-UV cured pieces during shipping and handling. UV printing is applicable to a wide range of papers and materials — it works particularly well with synthetic papers. And, because UV-cured inks emit no volatile organic compounds (VOCs) during the printing/drying process, they’re are less toxic to the environment and to overall human health.
If you have any questions about UV Printing, give us a call (330-597-8560). We’re happy to help you get the most out of your printing project.
