Tritron debuts UV curable thermal inkjet inks

Tritron, a developer and manufacturer of inks and colorants within the Atlantic Zeiser Group, will introduce LC Pro Black at drupa 2008. This UV-curable ink for HP thermal inkjet printers is the result of two years of in-house development and extensive compatibility testing at Tritron.

The LC (Light Curing) Pro line encompasses UV curable inkjet inks for printing, marking and coding semi-porous or nonporous media, such as plastics, foils and varnished or coated paper. The new LC Pro Black is said to combine value with ease of use – it is economically priced and supports clean and environmentally friendly production. LC Pro Black produces printed images with high reliability, durability and quality. In combination with UV LED sources, the inks provide an optimal solution for printing on heat-sensitive materials, like plastic wrapped mailings, blister packs or care instruction labels.

Alcohol-based, the pigmented LC Pro Black ink is targeted at processors and service providers involved in packaging, security printing, personalization, mailings and lettershop, who require glossy and coated media with high-quality, reliable and durable print. LC Pro Black is designed for HP 45A cartridges as a photochemically active thermal inkjet ink – in just a fraction of a second, UV light cures the ink into a solid polymer, without affecting the availability of the cartridge.

Dr Jens Simon, general manager of Tritron GmbH, commented: ‘The new LC Pro inks for HP thermal inkjet print heads are our response to market demands for special inks that support this widespread inkjet printing technology. The printed image is extremely durable and long-lasting, giving our customers a decisive lead over the competition.’

LC Pro Black's capability to be cured with UV LED light sources makes it ideal for industrial use. UV LED radiators are economical and long-lasting light sources. They are mercury free, emit no harmful UV radiation and do not generate ozone or heat.

UV curable inks offer a number of key advantages: they adhere to a virtually inexhaustible range of media, resist solvents, are waterproof and maintain good color stability without fading. Thanks to their compact design, the print heads can easily be integrated in environments with limited space.

LC Pro Black will be on display during drupa 2008 in Dsseldorf, Germany, by HP (Hall 8a, Stand B 26) and Atlantic Zeiser (Hall 11, Stand C56).