In recent years, capacity in the pigment market has increased dramatically, fueled by the increased presence of offshore pigments. This has led to consolidation, some smaller pigment manufacturers pulling out of the business and fiercely competitive pricing, thus cutting margins well below healthy levels.
Beginning on page 28, pigment executives discuss the latest news and trends in the market, reflect on how the industry has changed and offer their views on what may be in store for the future for pigment and ink manufacturers. Their predictions make for thought-provoking reading.
Meanwhile, there continues to be even more changes in the digital side of the printing ink industry. First, Nazdar has acquired Lyson, Ltd., a leading manufacturer of inkjet inks. Lyson supplies major OEM digital printer manufacturers and end-users. Nazdar has been making a strong push in the digital ink business, and this looks to be a very good move for them.
The second move came when Sakata Inx announced an agreement with Triangle Digital LLC, forming Triangle Digital INX Co. (TDI) to offer digital inks and application services to customers throughout the world in conjunction with INX International Ink Co. Triangle Digital, a successful player in the superwide and wide format inkjet market, allows INX to smooth commercial and packaging printers’ expansion into the digital market. This, too, looks to be an excellent combination that should benefit customers.
Last month, I wrote about many of the dramatic improvements we are implementing at www.inkworldmagazine.com. We have just finished putting Ink World’s comprehensive U.S. Ink Directory online, with links to each ink manufacturer that has its own website. With easy-to-access search capabilities such as product listings, our U.S. Ink Directory is now the ideal place for printers to find potential partners.
David Savastano
Ink World Editor
dave@rodpub.com