David Savastano, Editor10.19.17
For its closing session, the National Printing Ink Research Institute’s (NPIRI) annual Technical Conference typically examines new technologies impacting the printing industry. This year’s session included analysis on an innovative printing technology that creates a 3D look on 2D surfaces, anti-counterfeiting measures, extended color gamut for inkjet printing and more.
Hosted by the National Association of Printing Ink Manufacturers (NAPIM), the 2017 conference was held Oct. 10-12 at the Hilton Chicago/Oak Brook Hills Hotel and Conference Center in Oak Brook, IL.
Moderated by Duane Ness of INX, the New Technology session began with “3D Printing on 2D Surfaces,” a talk on Matt Hirsch of Lumii. Hirsch talked about the technology developed by Lumii, which converts3D content, like light fields, 3D scans, and 3D models, into 2D patterns that can be printed on standard printing equipment.
“Light fields are basically images projected in space,” said Hirsch. “We create computational optics and special patterns for light field displays. We have the only solution that couples 3D content to digitally printed media, producing 3D light field images using existing equipment and materials and that can be viewed without special glasses.”
Hirsch noted that Lumii has successfully printed its images on a Canon Oce printer, and the company is seeing potential opportunities in a number of markets.
“We have been approached on tickets and security applications, selfies that can be printed 3D, posters and window hangings,” Hirsch said. “Packaging is another possibility.”
Neil Ivey of Brandwatch Technologies followed with “Creating Added Value to your Inks through the Addition of Covert and Forensic Security Materials,” a look at how inks can be used to help thwart counterfeiters. Ivey discussed a wide range of inks, from overt to
covert techniques as well as using forensic security materials in inks.
Ivey began his talk by discussing the impact of counterfeiting, which is estimated to be a $1.77 trillion global trade, adding that the World Trade Organization (WTO) says 2% of all world trade is in counterfeit goods.
“Gillette razor blades are most counterfeited product in the world,” he noted. “Common counterfeits include pharmaceuticals, cosmetics, tobacco, driver’s licences, tax stamps, currency, passports. California even seized a shipment of counterfeit Angel Soft toilet paper.”
Counterfeiting is also dangerous. “Up to 82% of anti-malaria drugs in Africa are counterfeit,” Ivey reported. “The FAA says 2% of airline parts installed each year are counterfeit. It is a source of revenue for terrorist groups.”
Ivey the categorized anti-counterfeiting measures in inks. Level 1, overt measures, include holograms, watermarks and optically variable inks, which can be easily identified without the need for additional tools. Level 2 includes semi-overt (UV inks) and semi-covert (RFID, microtext) measures that do need a reader.
Level 3, or covert, measures require more sophisticated equipment like lasers that are needed for magnetic inks, IR systems and IR taggants.
“The future of covert materials includes advanced detection techniques, smartphone authentication, greater inkjet integration and camera systems to identify visible properties,” Ivey added. “Ink manufacturers have the expertise to say what will work, and understand additives and pigments.”
Level 4, or forensic, approaches include DNA markers, small DNA molecules added to the ink that have to be checked in the lab. The DNA can be synthetic or organic, and only a small amount is needed. Companies can premix DNA with some of the ink or a compatible additive to make a concentrate. He added that in the future, we may see nanocrystals combined for unique barcodes, micron polymers with multiple features and sensors.
“Covert and forensic security is extremely affordable and customizable when delivered as part of the ink or other printing vehicle,” Ivey concluded. “The majority of ink manufacturers offering security inks are working with outside material manufacturers for the covert and overt features.”
Kodak’s Douglas Bugner then discussed “An Expanded Gamut Ink Set for High-Speed Inkjet Printing on Flexible Films and Folding Cartons.”
Bugner noted that the extended color gamut most common now is orange, green and blue.
KODAK Prosper packaging CMYK inks are formulated for indirect food contact,” he added. “They are made with nanoparticle dispersions, which results in very low light scattering, higher optical densities and superior color gamut.”
Bugner reported that Kodak found that the best order of laydown was KGCBMOY, with ideal pigment preparations made for Blue (PV23/PG7/PB15:4), Green (PG7/PY74) and Orange (PO34).
Elizabeth Leeper of Daybreak Technologies was up next, with her talk on “Rapid FTIR Press‑Side Testing to Confirm the Cure of UV/EB Coatings for Packaging Applications.”
“Unreacted acrylate polymers and photoinitators are the issue for food packaging,” Leeper said. “Coatings must be adequately polymerized, and quality control is necessary for food packaging applications. Third-party labs typically do the analysis, which can take weeks.”
Through the use of FTIR with attenuated total reflectance, Leeper said that there is no sample preparation and works with most substrates, and it performs rapid measurements.
“We found that extractables decrease with increased acrylate polymerization, but you cannot achieve 100% polymerization, as steric hindrance prevents conversion of every acrylate group,” Leeper concluded. “Using FTIR, there is a proven relationship between migration analysis and acrylate polymerization. This mitigates costs of migration work by third-party labs and get results the same day with real time quality control.”
Blake Hansen of George Degen Company, Inc. closed the session with “Vegetable Oils in Graphic Arts: An Overview with a Focus on Tung Oil and Castor Oil.”
Hansen reported that global consumption of vegetable fats and oils was 4.7% of global consumption of crude petroleum, or 206 million metric tons. He added that 2006-2016 world production of oils and fats increased more than 42%, led by palm, soybean, rapeseed and sunflower seed, which accounts for 98% of the increase.
Tung oil, by comparison, is 25,000 metric tons annually, with linseed at 420,000 metric tons. However, as it is hand harvested tung oil costs approximately $4,800 per metric ton, while linseed oil is approximately $1,700 per metric ton.
“Tung prices must be relatively higher than other oilseeds to keep farmers from switching to soybeans and other crops such as edible fruits,” Hansen added.
Hosted by the National Association of Printing Ink Manufacturers (NAPIM), the 2017 conference was held Oct. 10-12 at the Hilton Chicago/Oak Brook Hills Hotel and Conference Center in Oak Brook, IL.
Moderated by Duane Ness of INX, the New Technology session began with “3D Printing on 2D Surfaces,” a talk on Matt Hirsch of Lumii. Hirsch talked about the technology developed by Lumii, which converts3D content, like light fields, 3D scans, and 3D models, into 2D patterns that can be printed on standard printing equipment.
“Light fields are basically images projected in space,” said Hirsch. “We create computational optics and special patterns for light field displays. We have the only solution that couples 3D content to digitally printed media, producing 3D light field images using existing equipment and materials and that can be viewed without special glasses.”
Hirsch noted that Lumii has successfully printed its images on a Canon Oce printer, and the company is seeing potential opportunities in a number of markets.
“We have been approached on tickets and security applications, selfies that can be printed 3D, posters and window hangings,” Hirsch said. “Packaging is another possibility.”
Neil Ivey of Brandwatch Technologies followed with “Creating Added Value to your Inks through the Addition of Covert and Forensic Security Materials,” a look at how inks can be used to help thwart counterfeiters. Ivey discussed a wide range of inks, from overt to
covert techniques as well as using forensic security materials in inks.
Ivey began his talk by discussing the impact of counterfeiting, which is estimated to be a $1.77 trillion global trade, adding that the World Trade Organization (WTO) says 2% of all world trade is in counterfeit goods.
“Gillette razor blades are most counterfeited product in the world,” he noted. “Common counterfeits include pharmaceuticals, cosmetics, tobacco, driver’s licences, tax stamps, currency, passports. California even seized a shipment of counterfeit Angel Soft toilet paper.”
Counterfeiting is also dangerous. “Up to 82% of anti-malaria drugs in Africa are counterfeit,” Ivey reported. “The FAA says 2% of airline parts installed each year are counterfeit. It is a source of revenue for terrorist groups.”
Ivey the categorized anti-counterfeiting measures in inks. Level 1, overt measures, include holograms, watermarks and optically variable inks, which can be easily identified without the need for additional tools. Level 2 includes semi-overt (UV inks) and semi-covert (RFID, microtext) measures that do need a reader.
Level 3, or covert, measures require more sophisticated equipment like lasers that are needed for magnetic inks, IR systems and IR taggants.
“The future of covert materials includes advanced detection techniques, smartphone authentication, greater inkjet integration and camera systems to identify visible properties,” Ivey added. “Ink manufacturers have the expertise to say what will work, and understand additives and pigments.”
Level 4, or forensic, approaches include DNA markers, small DNA molecules added to the ink that have to be checked in the lab. The DNA can be synthetic or organic, and only a small amount is needed. Companies can premix DNA with some of the ink or a compatible additive to make a concentrate. He added that in the future, we may see nanocrystals combined for unique barcodes, micron polymers with multiple features and sensors.
“Covert and forensic security is extremely affordable and customizable when delivered as part of the ink or other printing vehicle,” Ivey concluded. “The majority of ink manufacturers offering security inks are working with outside material manufacturers for the covert and overt features.”
Kodak’s Douglas Bugner then discussed “An Expanded Gamut Ink Set for High-Speed Inkjet Printing on Flexible Films and Folding Cartons.”
Bugner noted that the extended color gamut most common now is orange, green and blue.
KODAK Prosper packaging CMYK inks are formulated for indirect food contact,” he added. “They are made with nanoparticle dispersions, which results in very low light scattering, higher optical densities and superior color gamut.”
Bugner reported that Kodak found that the best order of laydown was KGCBMOY, with ideal pigment preparations made for Blue (PV23/PG7/PB15:4), Green (PG7/PY74) and Orange (PO34).
Elizabeth Leeper of Daybreak Technologies was up next, with her talk on “Rapid FTIR Press‑Side Testing to Confirm the Cure of UV/EB Coatings for Packaging Applications.”
“Unreacted acrylate polymers and photoinitators are the issue for food packaging,” Leeper said. “Coatings must be adequately polymerized, and quality control is necessary for food packaging applications. Third-party labs typically do the analysis, which can take weeks.”
Through the use of FTIR with attenuated total reflectance, Leeper said that there is no sample preparation and works with most substrates, and it performs rapid measurements.
“We found that extractables decrease with increased acrylate polymerization, but you cannot achieve 100% polymerization, as steric hindrance prevents conversion of every acrylate group,” Leeper concluded. “Using FTIR, there is a proven relationship between migration analysis and acrylate polymerization. This mitigates costs of migration work by third-party labs and get results the same day with real time quality control.”
Blake Hansen of George Degen Company, Inc. closed the session with “Vegetable Oils in Graphic Arts: An Overview with a Focus on Tung Oil and Castor Oil.”
Hansen reported that global consumption of vegetable fats and oils was 4.7% of global consumption of crude petroleum, or 206 million metric tons. He added that 2006-2016 world production of oils and fats increased more than 42%, led by palm, soybean, rapeseed and sunflower seed, which accounts for 98% of the increase.
Tung oil, by comparison, is 25,000 metric tons annually, with linseed at 420,000 metric tons. However, as it is hand harvested tung oil costs approximately $4,800 per metric ton, while linseed oil is approximately $1,700 per metric ton.
“Tung prices must be relatively higher than other oilseeds to keep farmers from switching to soybeans and other crops such as edible fruits,” Hansen added.