David Savastano, Editor03.15.19
As has become abundantly clear in recent years, raw materials have become a major challenge throughout the supply chain. As I noted in my editorial for the North American Top 20 Report, ink industry leaders are closely watching the cost and availability of key ingredients for their inks.
Leading ink companies pointed to the availability of pigments as one of the areas of particular concern. Increasing pressure on meeting environmental standards in China – the Blue Sky initiative – is leading to plant shutdowns, and in some cases, the closing of industrial parks.
Pigment and dye manufacturers also have concerns, and in “Pigment Manufacturers Face Numerous Challenges in 2019,” I spoke with pigment and dye industry executives who talked about their own concerns.
Not surprisingly, raw materials are right there at the top of the list. Key pigments, such as Pigment Yellow 74, are among the pigments that are of concern, with feedstocks and intermediates of particular note. Industry leaders throughout the supply chain are watching these markets warily.
Also in this issue, we focus on two ink segments that are enjoying growth. In “Corrugated Inkjet Ink Market is Thriving,” executives from leading press and ink manufacturers discuss the move of some corrugated packaging to digital printing. In “The Conductive Ink and Materials Market,” associate editor Anthony Locicero discusses the latest trends and markets for flexible and printed electronics, and how conductive inks are playing a major role in this blossoming segment.
On a different note, with this issue, I have the pleasure of welcoming Kim Stone, Flint Group’s director of communications, CPS Inks global business unit, to Ink World’s Editorial Advisory Board. I have worked with Stone for nearly two decades since she joined Flint Group in 2000, and she has been a major help to our magazine over the years. I count on our Editorial Advisory Board for advice on numerous topics, and I look forward to working with Stone in the coming years.
Leading ink companies pointed to the availability of pigments as one of the areas of particular concern. Increasing pressure on meeting environmental standards in China – the Blue Sky initiative – is leading to plant shutdowns, and in some cases, the closing of industrial parks.
Pigment and dye manufacturers also have concerns, and in “Pigment Manufacturers Face Numerous Challenges in 2019,” I spoke with pigment and dye industry executives who talked about their own concerns.
Not surprisingly, raw materials are right there at the top of the list. Key pigments, such as Pigment Yellow 74, are among the pigments that are of concern, with feedstocks and intermediates of particular note. Industry leaders throughout the supply chain are watching these markets warily.
Also in this issue, we focus on two ink segments that are enjoying growth. In “Corrugated Inkjet Ink Market is Thriving,” executives from leading press and ink manufacturers discuss the move of some corrugated packaging to digital printing. In “The Conductive Ink and Materials Market,” associate editor Anthony Locicero discusses the latest trends and markets for flexible and printed electronics, and how conductive inks are playing a major role in this blossoming segment.
On a different note, with this issue, I have the pleasure of welcoming Kim Stone, Flint Group’s director of communications, CPS Inks global business unit, to Ink World’s Editorial Advisory Board. I have worked with Stone for nearly two decades since she joined Flint Group in 2000, and she has been a major help to our magazine over the years. I count on our Editorial Advisory Board for advice on numerous topics, and I look forward to working with Stone in the coming years.
