Substrate Options —‘Paper or Plastic?’

Printing on plastic is far more difficult to execute well than switching from uncoated to glossy paper. Not only is plastic different from paper, but different plastics are suited for different applications. Of the dozen basic polymers suitable for printing, several are available in different grades developed for specific applications. Each has special properties that demand special treatment, including the use of custom inks and chemistry formulated by suppliers that specialize in UV-curable inks. Each new combination of inks and substrate has the potential to transform a normal pressroom into a science experiment.