ECKART Highlights New Effect Pigments, Metlalic Inks at drupa 2012

Brilliance and good printability – have been trademarks of ECKART for many years. At the drupa from May 3-16, 2012, ECKART presents further innovative solutions for the printing industry.

Among the special highlights are low-migration products focussing on end-user needs, for such products that may also be used for food packaging, and metallic inks for digital printing. When attendees visit ECKART in hall 3, stand C32, they will experience live how solvent-based and UV-curing metallic inks can be printed digital.

JETFLUID SB inks are the world’s fastest printing metallic inks developed by ECKART. They are solvent-based and suitable for many standard piezo print heads.
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JETFLUID UV is the world’s first UV curing metallic digital ink. JETFLUID UV makes metallic effects for wide formats, flatbed and one-pass label printing possible.

Metallic inks for digital printing advances a vast range of opportunities for the printing industry. Metallic effects are possible now for posters, labels and packaging as well as on leather and textiles.

With MIRRORGOLD, printing golden mirror-effects is now possible. As a replacement for time-consuming technologies, such as de-metallization or foil stamping ECKART’s printing ink introduces many application possibilities in reverse printing, in particular for flexible packaging.

ECKART offers MIRRORGOLD SX-3300 as a finished ink for screen printing. For applications in gravure printing, a two-component system is available: MIRRORGOLD 590 001 paste and MIRRORGOLD GX-3203 medium.

Brilliant packaging for foodstuffs is now possible with the “Food Packaging Grade (FPG)” series METALSTAR FPG 11. The offset-sheetfed series is low-migration, sensory neutral and meets the high standards for food packaging. Its formulation is based on carefully selected raw materials that are monitored using the state-of-the-art analysis methods. The ink series is produced under GMP conditions and ECKART provides a “Statement of Composition.”

METALSTAR FPG 11 series can be printed in sheetfed offset on paper and carton board. This way, food packaging will receive metallic effects that can be used without reservations.


METALURE aluminium pigment dispersions are available in fine nuances – from dark, chrome-like effects to bright brilliance. Always offering a mirror effect. METALURE is especially suited when foil stamping or metallized substrates are too costly in the application, inks formulated with METALURE can be selectively printed in-line. ECKART has two ink series based on METALURE: ULTRASTAR and TOPSTAR.

METALURE is also available in stabilized variants. They guarantee flexibility for the formulation of UV-curing and water-based systems.

PLATINSTAR inks and PLATINVARIO aluminium pigment dispersions fulfil sophisticated requirements. On ECKART’s product effect scale, the so-called “Platindollar” aluminium pigments are seen between METALURE mirror effects and the brilliant “Silverdollar” pigments, respectively between ULTRASTAR and ROTOSTAR printing effects.

ULTRASHINE UV FP-8240 Silver is a highly brilliant, UV-curing flexo ink, which has been specially developed for front end coaters or tower coaters. Regardless where the coater unit is arranged in the process – upstream of the first printing unit or at the end of the offset machine – ULTRASHINE UV FP-8240 Silver replaces metallized substrates or the need for foil blocking. It is distinguished for its efficient use, because it will only print the metallic effect where it is intended by the design.

ROTOSTAR UV FX 68-41002 SHRINK Silver is the first UV-curing flexo ink for shrink sleeve applications. It ensures that the brilliance remains after shrinking.

FERRICON products are based on carbonyl iron pigments and can be aligned magnetically – this way, 3-D effects can be printed.

SYMIC and LUXAN products make up ECKART’s pearl effect offering. SYMIC pigments are produced from artificial mica, while LUXAN is based on glass pigments. Both pigment families create exciting highlights with different shades of colour.

METALSTAR Eco 10 and METALSTAR SuperEco 10 offset printing ink series are formulated completely without mineral oil. This provides advantages for paper recycling. METALSTAR Eco 10 offers the standard metallic effects, whereas METALSTAR SuperEco 10 is recommended for high printing speeds – in the familiar ink quality with excellent printability.

ROTOSTAR aqua FX 41 water-based flexo ink is recommended for non-absorbent substrates such as foils. Its distinguishing characteristic is its high rub resistance.