Keeping the Shine on Metallic Inks
Thanks in some part to the Millennium and the Olympics, the use of metallic inks has grown over the past few years. There is no doubt that a metallic shine draws attention to a printed piece. The science of putting a bright, shiny metallic ink on paper and keeping it printable is a challenge to both ink manufacturers and printers.
These inks are based largely on actual flakes of metal, giving the inks an entirely different composition from conventional inks. The size of the pigment particles is considerably larger. Metal is more reactive to other components of the printing process, specifically, the water and other solutions that we use. Drying and sealing metallic inks also has special requirements.
In the past, one of the biggest challenges concerning metallic inks was their poor performance in conventional print environments. Recent advances in the creation of smaller and brighter particles, combined with more stable suspensions have made the inks not only brighter and more durable, but easier to lay down on press.
While the process has improved, there are other considerations when printing metallic inks. We need to consider all factors, such as other inks and processes used. We may need to lay down an opaque white under some metallics for packaging or to knock out colors that underprint a metallic. Although metallic ink has an inherently high opacity, its inability to lay down on top of some other inks can cause problems on press. We may need to use special pre-press techniques and special trapping to achieve the right overall effect. Consult with us when considering using metallic inks to help avoid any unforeseen problems.
With a wide array of metallic ink formulations available for many different printing processes, we must base the final choice on the paper, the printing process, and the desired effect.
