Types and Composition of Traditional Printing Inks | Formulation Ratios and Process Parameters of 10 Common Water-Based Inks

Types and Composition of Traditional Printing Inks | Formulation Ratios and Process Parameters of 10 Common Water-Based Inks

Table of content.

Formulation Ratios and Process Parameters of 10 Common Water-Based Inks

 

I. Differences in Formulation Ratios

1. Differences by Printing Method

  • Flexographic printing
     High pigment content (30–35%), higher viscosity (≈ 30 mPa·s), fast drying speed.

  • Gravure / Screen printing
     Lower pigment content (10–30%), viscosity range 20–30 mPa·s, requiring higher resin content (e.g., acrylic resin 25–35%).

 

 

2. Differences by Printing Substrate

  • Absorbent substrates (e.g., paper)
     Simplified formulations without additional adhesion promoters; higher water content (15–25%).

  • Non-absorbent substrates (e.g., plastics)
     Increased adhesion promoters (e.g., polyurethane resins), reduced water content (10–20%), and added surfactants (1–3%).

 

 

3. Differences by Application Requirements

  • Fast-drying applications
     Addition of fast-drying agents (e.g., ethanol increased to ~15%), with reduced water content.

  • High-temperature / wash resistance
     Addition of crosslinking agents (e.g., epoxy resins), with pigment content adjusted to 20–25%.

 

 

4. Differences by Ink Type

  • Dye-based inks
     Primarily water-soluble dyes (1–10%), with antibacterial agents and pH regulators added (pH 4–8).

  • Pigment-based inks
     Higher pigment content (10–30%), requiring dispersants and resins (acrylic or polyurethane) to maintain stable suspension.

 

II. Differences in Process Parameters

Parameter

General Water-Based Ink

Flexo Water-Based Ink

Reactive Dye Ink

Acid Dye Ink

Viscosity (mPa·s)

20–30

10–20

10–30

10–25

Surface tension (mN/m)

40–50

35–45

40–50

40–50

pH value

6–8

6–8

7–9

4–6

Particle size (μm)

< 0.5

< 0.5

< 0.5

< 0.5

Drying method

Natural / hot-air drying

High-speed hot air

Steam fixation

High-temperature curing

 

 

III. Detailed Formulation Examples of 10 Common Water-Based Inks

  • General water-based ink
     Acrylic resin (25–35%), ethanol (5–15%), triethylamine (5–15%), pigment (10–30%), water (15–25%)
     Application: General printing

  • Flexographic water-based ink
     Acrylic copolymer (22–30%), PE wax emulsion (0–5%), pigment (30–35%), water (30%)
     Application: High-speed flexographic printing

  • Reactive dye ink
     High-purity reactive dyes (10–20%), urea (5–10%), deionized water (60–70%), pH regulator (1–2%)
     Application: Cotton / silk printing

  • Acid dye ink
     Acid dyes (15–25%), methanol (5–10%), glycerol (5–8%), water (50–65%)
     Application: Wool / nylon printing

  • Disperse dye ink
     Disperse dyes (20–30%), dispersant (5–10%), ethylene glycol (10–15%), water (40–50%)
     Application: Polyester / synthetic fibers

  • Pigment-based ink
     Nano pigments (25–35%), polyurethane resin (15–20%), defoamer (0.5–1%), water (40–50%)
     Application: Non-absorbent substrates

  • High-temperature resistant ink
     Pigments (20–25%), epoxy resin (10–15%), fast-drying agent (5–7%), water (50–60%)
     Application: Industrial high-temperature environments

  • Fast-drying ink
     Ethanol (15–20%), pigments (10–15%), acrylic resin (20–25%), water (40–50%)
     Application: Short-run production

  • Low-viscosity ink
     Water (50–60%), dyes (5–10%), surfactants (1–2%), pH buffer (0.5–1%)
     Application: High-precision printheads

  • Eco-friendly ink
     Water (70–80%), biodegradable resins (10–15%), natural pigments (5–10%), solvent-free additives (1–3%)
     Application: Sustainable manufacturing

 

 

IV. Key Summary

  1. Core formulation drivers
     Printing method, substrate properties, and functional requirements are the three primary drivers for formulation adjustment.

  2. Process parameter priorities
     Viscosity, surface tension, pH value, and particle size must be strictly matched to equipment requirements (e.g., nozzle diameter, printing speed).

  3. Industry trends
     Eco-friendly formulations (high water content, biodegradable resins) and multifunctional inks (high-temperature and wash resistance) represent the future development direction.

 

Types and Composition of Traditional Printing Inks


Main Components of Traditional Printing Inks

Primary Components

Printing inks are mainly composed of base components and additives.

  • Base components include:

    • Pigments (organic pigments, inorganic pigments, and lake pigments)

    • Binders (vehicles), such as oil-based binders, organic binders, and resin-based binders

  • Additives include:

    • Flow control agents (viscosity modifiers, tack modifiers, stabilizers)

    • Drying control agents (driers and drying inhibitors)

    • Color adjustment agents (extenders and color enhancers)

 

Functions of Ink Components

Roles of Individual Components

  • Pigments are the solid components of ink and are responsible for color development. They are generally insoluble in water. Properties such as color saturation, tinting strength, and transparency of ink are closely related to pigment characteristics.

  • Binders are the liquid components of ink and act as the carrier for pigments. Ink film gloss, drying behavior, and mechanical strength are largely determined by the binder properties.

  • Additives are incorporated to improve ink printability, such as viscosity, tack, and drying performance.

 

 

Main Classification of Printing Inks

Major Ink Categories

  • Relief printing inks: book and newspaper black inks, web black inks, and colored relief inks

  • Planographic printing inks: offset lithographic gloss resin inks, web offset inks

  • Gravure printing inks: photogravure inks, engraved gravure inks

  • Stencil printing inks: duplicating inks, screen printing inks

  • Specialty printing inks: puff inks, magnetic inks, fluorescent inks, conductive inks

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