Even as they face volatile raw material pricing and the impact of the global recession, vehicle and varnish manufacturers continue to introduce new technologies.
The role of vehicles and varnishes is a critical one, and suppliers are developing new technologies while also facing increasingly higher raw material costs.
Vehicles and varnishes play a critical role in ink, and terms such as 'guts' and 'heart of the ink' speak to their importance. Ink makers rely on their suppliers to help provide the critical characteristics that printers seek.
Although there generally were signs of improvement in 2004, vehicle and varnish suppliers are watching raw material pricing and profitability closely in 2005.
As the economy improves, vehicle and varnish manufacturers are hopeful that the printing ink industry will see improvement. However, rising crude oil prices are a serious concern.