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Printing inks are a customer- and applications-specific formulations business.
Markets are many, but can be categorized into two major segments—the
commercial printing/publishing industry and the packaging industry. Alternatively,
printing inks are categorized by printing process—lithography, rotogravure
and flexography being the most important. However, digital printing is becoming
more important and growing significantly. A reputation for both quality products
and technical service is essential for a printing inks company.
Printing inks are mixtures of pigments dispersed in vehicles (combinations
of oils, resins, organic solvents and/or water) plus chemical additives. The
pigments are the most important part of the raw material cost and the major
global printing ink manufacturers are producers of pigments.
In today’s global business market, interest in Asia is increasing. Seven
of the most commonly pursued markets—China, India, Indonesia, Malaysia,
the Philippines, Thailand and Vietnam—are home to more than 3 billion
people, more than half of the world’s population. As the economies of
these countries develop, a growing number of ink makers are seeing that the
long-term business potential of this region outweighs the short-term economic
difficulties some of these countries are currently experiencing. The East Asian
printing inks market (excluding Japan) in 2005 is estimated to have had a volume
of about 400 thousand metric tons, with China consuming approximately half.
The market size in South America is around 100 thousand metric tons. India
is increasing in importance as both a consumer and producer of printing inks.
In the various countries of Asia, growth rates for printing ink consumption
in the range of 5–6% are expected during 2005–2010.
Printing ink technology and formulations have changed significantly over the
last decade. Water-based inks now exhibit significant market share and acrylate
binders have shown good growth. Many kinds of inks that can be used in high-speed
printing for nonporous polymeric film substrates have been developed. In fields
such as packaging, flexographic water-based printing inks have been increasingly
used in place of solvent-based printing inks, especially in the United States.
In 2005, printing ink consumption in the United States, Western Europe and
Japan was estimated to be 3.0 million metric tons, representing a value of
$11.5 billion. The United States is the largest consuming region, with a volume
of just under 1.3 million metric tons and a dollar value of approximately $4.2
billion. The Japanese market is a higher-priced market in comparison with the
United States and Western European markets.
The following pie chart shows the global sales of the top ten printing ink
manufacturers:
Radiation-curable inks are used primarily in lithography and screen printing
but are finding use in virtually all types of printing and imaging processes.
A significant portion of the remaining letterpress market is UV cure, and this
is the market with highest UV penetration, at about 20%. Ultraviolet- and electron
beam–cured inks are increasing their market share in the printing inks
industry because of their better performance characteristics; lower VOC emissions;
improvements in the production process regarding handling, productivity, quality
and downtime; and the generation of less waste.
Electronic media have fragmented advertising, reducing advertising spending
in print media, and causing the closure of magazine and newspapers. However,
digital imaging, especially through ink jet printing, is increasingly becoming
a major part of the “traditional” printing business. Computerized
platemaking and printing stations (typically inkjet) that customize each printed
product are becoming common technologies. Customization and quick turnaround
for short runs are major customer demands being placed on the printing industry,
and ink manufacturers must produce inks that accommodate these needs. New technologies
that allow the printer to come up to color quickly and produce consistent color
throughout the run are being used.
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