With the recent rise of solvent, eco-solvent and UV curable inkjet inks within our
industry, many find themselves speculating on how the use of these inks will play out
over the years to come, and whether one ink system will come out on the top of the
inkjet heap. The short answer to this question is that there will be space in the inkjet
arena for everyone. Short answers, however, don't always help us, so let's discuss.

　　Start with solvent ink. There is no doubt that solvent-based inkjet inks will be with us for
a long time, and that the capabilities - specifically of very hot solvents - to eat into the
substrate used, will ensure the long-term need for these ink sets for outdoor
applications. Solvent ink has a lot going for it: durability and low cost (especially when
purchased from third-party ink manufacturers). The attributes do, however, come with
other implications. The major disadvantage of solvent ink is that they dry through
evaporation, which brings to mind three specific considerations. First and second, the
evaporation of the solvents presents both an indoor air quality problem (proper
ventilation may be required to ensure safe levels within your facility) and an outdoor air
quality problem (your emissions may trigger the need to comply with your region's air
quality regulations). The third consideration is that while solvent inks dry more rapidly
than aqueous inks, they still do take time to dry. In the production of wide-format
graphics, this is generally not a problem. As the applications and uses of inkjet continue
to expand into new markets and new areas, this could prove to be a challenge to viable
production speed.

　　Just a few words about eco-solvents, light solvents, medium solvents and any other of
the various names given to solvent inkjet ink not based in highly-evaporative, full
strength solvent chemicals. First and foremost, they are still solvents, and may still bring
with them the challenges outlined earlier. Lighter does not mean safer or better, it simply
means it is less aggressive. If a less aggressive solvent meets the needs of your
company and the products you produce on the substrates you use, it is then and only
then right for your company.

　　UV ink, though still relatively new to inkjet applications, may hold a great deal of promise
as inkjet grows. There are a number of factors contributing to this. First, UV is currently
the ink that allows for direct printing onto the widest variety of substrates. This ability
alone has allowed direct access to new markets for a number of imagers who have
brought UV inkjet - most commonly by way of a flatbed machine - into their facilities.

　　The true advantage of UV in the long run is that it is dried (cured, actually) almost
instantaneously using UV light. It is because of this reality that UV may be the key to
high speeds in inkjet printing, specifically as the process enters sheet-fed production
areas such as the printing of product packaging. UV ink, however, does have its
disadvantages. First, the ink is quite expensive. This, linked with the fact that UV inkjet
equipment is more expensive to start, may serve as a deterrent for companies looking to
purchase a new printer. Other disadvantages stem from the area of ink development.
Currently, companies using UV inkjet expect the ink to adhere, and stay durable, on a
wide variety of substrates. Often this works, but sometimes it doesn't. As the ink
continues to develop, however, it is expected that some of these challenges will be
addressed, either through better formulations, or formulations specific to certain uses, or
clusters of uses.

　　When considering the relative qualities of the inks outlined here, it is important to also
consider that this is all a moving target. Inks are constantly under development, and it
can be assumed that they will continue to grow in durability, color quality and adhesion
diversity. Today, it is most important to make sure you understand the relative
advantages and disadvantages of the inks you consider for your business, and take
account of what you need in comparison with what the inks can be expected to provide.