Products

Water Based Flexo Inks

Water-based flexo and gravure inks for narrow web and wide web, inline and CI flexo printing on paper, board and film.

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Eco-friendly inks

Water-based inks for every paper format

We offer a wide range of water-based inks for the flexo printing process, meeting the requirements of narrow-web as well as wide-web flexo presses. The absence of solvent makes the printed paper odour-free for food wraps and safe for children’s products.

Water-based inks de-ink well when the binder redissolves in the pulper and releases pigment at a floatable size, which is the case for our UniLux and UniCraft ranges on standard papers — an increasingly important property under the EU Packaging and Packaging Waste Regulation.

Anilox roller and photopolymer plate cylinder of a wide-web flexographic press transferring blue water-based ink onto a white paperboard web

The water-based range

Six series matched to the paper, the press and the product inside.

UniWet Hydra — Papers

Water-based flexo and gravure inks for papers, designed to dry quickly on the sheet.

UniFine HD — Labels

High-strength, mid-viscosity narrow-web label inks. Suitable for UV flexo combination printing.

UniWet Glacier — Ice Cream Cones

Good deep-freeze, oil and fat resistance with good adhesion on metallised and foil paper.

UniCraft — Corrugated

High opacity to hide the brown of kraft liner, for corrugated post-print.

UniCold — Cold Drink Cups

For PE-coated cold-drink cups, where deep-freeze, water and lime resistance are required.

UniHot — Coffee Cups

For coated and uncoated papers and board, designed for low heat exchange on hot-beverage cups.

White paper

Technical background: formulation principles

Binder. Our water-based inks are built on a blend of alkali-soluble acrylic resin, which gives resolubility on the anilox and cylinder plus gloss, and acrylic emulsion polymer, which gives rub resistance and water resistance once the amine has left the film. The ratio is set per grade: more resin for high-gloss wrap, more emulsion for bags and cups that are handled wet.

Pigments. Colour strength on absorbent paper is protected by dispersing pigments at high concentration in resin-bearing grinding bases, so the ink holds out on the surface rather than soaking in. Light-fastness grades from BWS 3 to BWS 7–8 are available across the palette.

pH and viscosity. A volatile amine keeps the ink at pH 8.5–9.0 on press. A pH stabiliser is supplied for long runs and hot pressrooms, where amine loss would otherwise raise viscosity and reduce resolubility.

Corrugated post-print

Corrugated post-print is the largest single application of water-based flexo ink, and one of the hardest to run well: a rough, absorbent, variable substrate, wide webs, high speeds, large solids next to fine bar codes, and a pressroom that is rarely air-conditioned.

UniCraft inks are built on high-strength pigment dispersions milled below 0.5 µm and carried in a resin-bearing vehicle that holds the pigment at the surface of the liner. Strength lets the printer run the shallow, fine aniloxes of 3–6 BCM that give sharp bar codes and clean type, while still reaching density on solids.

Why choose us

Make in India and ship to the world, based on American technology.

Fast Curing

More output from every press with fast-curing UV and LED formulations.

Low Viscosity

Trouble-free printing with consistent flow and transfer.

Custom Inks

Press-ready formulations colour-matched to your request.

High Strength

High-strength pigments allow low GSM printing without losing density.

Downloads

Technical documents

Download the Technical Data Sheet, Safety Data Sheet and Regulatory Summary for every product in this range. Technical data sheets are provided as standard for all Uniform Industries printing inks and coatings.

ProductDescriptionDocuments
UniColdWater-based inks for PE-coated cold-drink cupsTDSSDSRegulatory
UniCraftWater-based inks for corrugated post-printTDSSDSRegulatory
UniFine HDWater-based inks for high-quality label printing on coated papersTDSSDSRegulatory
UniHotWater-based inks for hot-drink cup printingTDSSDSRegulatory
UniSafeFood-grade compostable ink for tea tags and food wrappersTDSSDSRegulatory
UniWet GlacierWater-based inks for ice-cream cone printingTDSSDSRegulatory
UniWet HydraWater-based flexo and gravure inks for general use on papersTDSSDSRegulatory

TDS = Technical Data Sheet. SDS = Safety Data Sheet (MSDS) according to Regulation (EC) 1907/2006 Annex II and UN GHS. The Regulatory Summary lists the compliance status of each product. Click a document to read it online in the viewer; each document can also be downloaded as PDF (up to 5 downloads per location). Product catalogues are available to read online. For a controlled copy, a declaration of compliance for your specific application, or documents for a product not listed here, write to sales@ufindustries.com.

Don't see what you're looking for?

Please feel free to call us. We colour-match to any request and develop inks around your press-room need.