SHEETFED DRYING/CURING SYSTEMS -- Running Hot and Cold

The capability does come at a price. Printing with UV inks requires that a press be dedicated to the process. It also has an impact on the operating environment.

Kuehn counters that hybrid inks are now making it much easier for sheetfed printers to enter the UV market. As the name implies, "hybrid" systems try to bridge the gap between conventional and UV printing. The technology eliminates the need for special rollers and blankets, which means a press doesn't have to be dedicated to UV printing. In addition, the inks can be applied in a wet trapping process, which reduces the number of inter-station/inter-deck UV curing units required—in comparison to a full UV setup.