Printing Process Inputs -- Consumables: A Mixed Bag

The economy is no less a factor in the outlook for printing inks; it just happens that 2008 saw wild swings in oil prices that overshadowed all other concerns.

According to data from the National Association of Printing Ink Manufacturers (NAPIM), raw materials now account for almost 60 percent of an ink manufacturer’s operating expenses. If they are tracked back far enough, most of those materials (pigments, resins, solvents, etc.) are derived from petroleum, says John Daugherty, NAPIM’s technical director. That’s true even for water-based, UV and gravure ink systems, he adds.