UV in the Field: Where It Works and Why

UV inks and coatings have long held great promise for allowing printers to broaden their product mixes and add value for their existing customers. However, as discussed in the Jan. 23 issue in "Inline Finishing Options, UV: Decipher How It Can Work for You," the benefits are highly dependent upon a printer's business model and workflow. You cannot just purchase a UV press and expect work to come rolling in to pay for the investment. Here, we will look at some of the most commonly cited benefits of UV and the workflows and business models most likely to benefit from them.

SLICK STUFF

Higher levels of gloss are the primary benefit cited by printers using UV. For the average commercial printer, however, the value of high gloss levels in itself is not likely to provide payback-especially in markets where gloss is not optional, but expected.

Ink Systems, an ink manufacturer specializing in conventional and UV inks for high-end commercial printing, sees most of its sales to large commercial printers who produce long-run automotive brochures and annual reports for large corporations. These big, expensive jobs printed in large runs provide these shops with double bang for the buck, because they get the benefit of UV's gloss levels, and the productivity benefits of its instant curing, which allows them to finish right off the press and turn jobs quickly. In these environments, in-house UV can bring payback, where it likely wouldn't in a traditional commercial printing environment.