At the moment’s expanded gamut ultraviolet (UV) inks can be utilized for quite a lot of signage and branding functions. Photographs courtesy Roland DGA
By Ginny Mumm
With the power to print immediately on virtually any floor, ultraviolet (UV) LED printers have change into more and more fashionable for quite a lot of client, company, and industrial functions. This has led to some exceptional advances in printing know-how and software program merchandise lately. Because of this, the worldwide market dimension for UV LED printers is projected to develop at a compound annual progress price (CAGR) of 9.5 per cent from 2023 to 2030, and attain US$758.7 million (C$1 billion) by 2030.1
The introduction of superior flatbed, hybrid, and roll-to-roll UV printers; up to date raster picture processor (RIP) software program; and new, wider ink color gamuts are main contributors to this progress out there. To search out out extra, we spoke with Jay Roberts, UV printer product supervisor at Roland DGA, about how print service suppliers (PSPs) can leverage new color gamuts and know-how to enhance their UV-printed choices for shoppers.
How have color gamuts expanded over the previous few years? What components drove this growth?
Jay Roberts (JR): The push for expanded color gamuts got here from each producers and finish customers. The largest driving issue is the will to hit company colors extra precisely. Whereas everybody needs to have the ability to produce vibrant, enjoyable, and totally saturated color that pops, it’s additionally vital to have the ability to precisely print model or Pantone colors for company shoppers. The extra of these focused colors you may hit, the higher you’re as a printing firm, and the higher the standard of merchandise finish customers can present for his or her shoppers.
The ink color know-how that has been developed during the last 10 years for the eco-solvent market—which incorporates inexperienced, orange, and lightweight cyan inks—has been translated to inks for UV machines. Crimson inks have additionally been launched to reinforce the out there color house, and bringing out particular colors helps enhance the gamut in different areas.
What are the advantages of getting these expanded gamuts for PSPs and different industries?
Raster picture processor (RIP) packages assist printers maintain their UV color output constant throughout quite a lot of substrates.
JR: The drive for model color matching began virtually 50 years in the past, with what was then referred to as “Coca-Cola crimson.” Now, it’s grown to match “Dwelling Depot orange,” “Microsoft blue,” and an entire host of different company hues. From offset to banners to point-of-purchase (POP) shows, the larger your capability to hit these colors throughout quite a lot of platforms, the higher you may serve your shoppers’ vary of print wants.
At the moment’s expansions in color gamuts permit customers to focus on a bigger color house, with all the colourful and photographic parts that include it. For example, particular inks can goal as much as 89 per cent of Pantone colors, which is a giant leap up from beforehand having the ability to goal 55 to 60 per cent. The elevated capability to focus on many extra Pantone colors represents a real enchancment in PSPs’ capability to offer excellent color output.
Inform us concerning the latest evolution of inks for the UV market.
JR: When individuals discuss color matching, they’re sometimes aiming to match one thing initially printed on one other platform, maybe months and even years in the past. They need their output to look good to the one that is shopping for the job. The evolution of inks has actually elevated the power for PSPs to attain a “shared visible look” between completely different printing platforms.
An expanded gamut with orange and crimson ink was developed over time and with excessive precision. The result’s an inkset that may be very efficient at attaining a shared visible look, with Delta Es (a measure of how a lot a displayed color differs from its enter color) of beneath two—a degree of distinction which is sort of indistinguishable.