The advantages and disadvantages of green printing waterless printing technology

Water-free printing, as the name suggests, does not require the use of bucket water (fouding fluid) during the printing process, and has a small environmental load. The generation of water-free computer-to-plate (CTP version) has brought out the good characteristics of waterless printing. This is a printing method that is consistent with the social sustainable development.

Waterless printing technology was first introduced by 3M companies in the United States in the 1970s. Afterwards, Toray Industries Japan purchased patents and developed them to realize industrialization. It has continuously demonstrated its strong vitality and demand in Japan, Europe and the United States. In 1990, Dongguan Jinbei Printing Co., Ltd. (hereinafter referred to as Jinbei) successfully used waterless printing technology. However, due to the high material prices at that time, and the inconvenience of the temperature control equipment of the ink roller, the waterless printing technology could not be promoted. To daily production. By 2006, Jinbei began to officially use waterless printing technology. At present, at least one third of Jinbei's presses are produced using waterless printing.

In recent years, environmental protection has become a hot topic, and waterless printing technology has increasingly attracted the attention of the industry. Through years of use, the author summarized the advantages and disadvantages of some waterless printing.

Waterless printing is extremely environmentally friendly

Traditional offset printing is based on the principle of mutual exclusion of ink and ink. In places where there is no image, hydrophilic areas without ink and areas with images are not hydrophilic, but water also causes various printing quality problems such as over-emulsification of ink and water. Traces, etc., need to add alcohol (isopropanol) to reduce the side effects caused by water. At the same time, isopropanol also generates volatile organic compounds (VOCs), which have an impact on the environment.

The non-watermark version is a flat-grained version. Its graphic part is in the recessed part with ink. The silicone coating on the printing plate does not contain ink and does not require the use of fountain solution. This has several advantages.

First, since the anhydrous version does not contain water and isopropanol, it will not generate volatile organic compound (VOC) and dampening waste liquid, which will be beneficial to protect the health of operators, improve the production environment of the workshop, and environmental protection.

Second, the water-free version of the water development method, version of the water can be simply processed, does not contain harmful substances, are environmentally friendly printing materials.

Third, water-free printing uses environmentally friendly plant-based oil-based ink, safe and environmentally friendly.

Fourthly, due to the effect of water in traditional offset printing, the dot enlargement rate is relatively large; the dot enlargement rate of waterless printing is relatively small, which can make the graphic of the printed matter bright and bright, with rich color layers, and can effectively improve the quality.

Fifth, waterless printing solves the problems originally caused by water, effectively shortens the school machine time, reduces the number of test proofs, and reduces the amount of defective products. It also saves the cost of fountain solution and other materials. From this perspective, waterless printing helps save production costs.

Higher costs become a bottleneck in popularity

Although there are many advantages of waterless printing, only a few printing companies in China have started to use this technology. The large initial investment and high material prices have become the bottleneck restricting the popularity of this technology.

First, waterless printing needs to be equipped with various auxiliary equipment and devices, with a large initial investment.

In the prepress area, since the waterless version is made of tap water and a brush, and the unneeded silicone layer is peeled off, the developing principle is different from that of the ordinary PS plate, and a special plate processor is required.

In the printing process, since the viscosity of the waterless ink is large, and waterless printing does not vaporize and vaporize water, it can take away and absorb some of the heat generated by the printing press. Once the temperature is too high, it will form a traditional printing “dry”. The effect of the print quality is affected. Therefore, it is necessary to install a constant temperature device on the ink roller to ensure that the waterless ink is at the optimum printing temperature.

Waterless printing must also pay special attention to the temperature and humidity management of the production environment. When the temperature in the room changes too much, the viscosity of the ink will also change, which will hinder the stable printing. In addition, when there is a lack of humidity in the air, static electricity is easily generated and it is difficult to collect paper. Therefore, some equipment and equipment must be installed in the printing shop to maintain the temperature and humidity.

Second, water-free printing plates and inks are more expensive than traditional printing. Since waterless printing requires the use of special waterless inks and waterless plates, the prices of these materials are higher than ordinary offset materials, especially plates. At present, all water-free plates are imported from Japan, lack of competition and high prices. Recently, Toray Trading Corporation of Japan has begun cooperation with domestic manufacturers and plans to produce water-free plates in China. It is believed that the price of water-free plates will decline.

The General Administration of Press and Publication and the Ministry of Environmental Protection signed the "Strategic Agreement for the Implementation of Green Printing" in 2010 and the "Announcement on the Implementation of Green Printing" in 2011. It can be seen that green printing will become the main direction for the future development of China's printing industry. Waterless printing has superior environmental performance and can also improve the quality of printed matter. However, the current use cost is relatively high. Enterprises that produce high-grade printed matter can also consider investing. In the future, the development prospect of waterless printing will be very broad.