Research into different paper finishes
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/UV_coating
http://www.colourgraphics.com/uv-printing/
UV Coating
"UV coating" refers to surface treatments which either are cured by ultraviolet radiation, or protect the underlying material from its harmful effects.
Ultra-violet cured coatings can be applied over ink printed on paper and dried by exposure to UV radiation. UV coatings can be formulated up to 100% solids so that they have no volatile component that contributes to pollution. This high solids level also allows for the coating to be applied in very thin films. UV coatings can be formulated to a wide variety of gloss ranges. UV coating can be applied via most conventional industrial coating applications as well as by silkscreen.
Due to the normally high solids content of UV coating/varnish the surface of the cured film can be extremely reflective and glossy. 80 lb text and heavier weights of paper can be UV coated, however, cover weights are preferred.
UV can be applied on spot locations of the paper or by flooding the page. This coating application can deepen the color of the printed area. Drying is virtually instantaneous when exposed to the correct level of UV light so projects can move quickly into the bindery. Like the other coatings, consult the bindery for projects requiring gluing. Using a strippable coating blanket can eliminate glue issues. New, innovative coating blanket solutions have been developed recently that allow for this to be done.
A printed page with UV coating applied can be very shiny or flattened to a matte finish. A good example of UV coated paper is photo paper sold for home printing projects. UV coatings that are not fully cured can have a slightly sticky feeling.
Due to high demand for quick turnaround of full colour sign boards, point of sale, point of purchase, standard & prototype packaging we have recently installed a 3.2m wide VUTEK QS 3200 flat bed uv printer capable of printing pretty much any substrate up to 50mm thick.
UV Print is high quality & durable with a very high UV resistance, great for either indoor our outdoor use. UV printers can print onto any coated or un-coated substrate providing very vivid dense colours.
UV Printing does not use any solvents so is very eco friendly, Ultra violet (UV) reactive inks and coatings require a high intensity source of UV light to initiate a chemical reaction. This reaction dries the UK ink or coating in fractions of a second, this enables us to take the job straight to the finishing table for finishing for a speedy turnaround.
UV Print is high quality & durable with a very high UV resistance, great for either indoor our outdoor use. UV printers can print onto any coated or un-coated substrate providing very vivid dense colours.
UV Printing does not use any solvents so is very eco friendly, Ultra violet (UV) reactive inks and coatings require a high intensity source of UV light to initiate a chemical reaction. This reaction dries the UK ink or coating in fractions of a second, this enables us to take the job straight to the finishing table for finishing for a speedy turnaround.
Colour Graphics has been using UV Flatbed printing technology for over 10 years.
