UV Printing Process Intrigues Coldset Printers
ELIZABETHVILLE, PA—More than 22 commercial coldset and newspaper printers converged on Dauphin Graphic Machines' (DGM) headquarters recently to get a better understanding of how the UV printing process could benefit them at a one-day seminar co-sponsored by Flint Ink and Prime UV Systems.
The event was held at DGM's state-of-the-art training facility, CMYK University, located here. The seminar was unique in that, after discussing the finer points of the UV printing process with experts from DGM, Flint Ink and Prime UV, attendees were able to step into the press lab that adjoins the CMYK classroom and watch a live demonstration of the UV curing process using supercalendered and coated stocks on a DGM 440 web offset printing press.
"We have this fantastic facility, so we thought why not take advantage of it?" explained Brian LaBine, DGM president. "The UV printing process is definitely something in which our customers are very interested. We've been fielding a lot of questions about it recently," he added.
Many of attendees, who came from across the nation, are looking for ways to add a heatset-like product to their business, without having to go to the expense and complications of adding heatset equipment, according to LaBine.
The UV curing process offers coldset printers several benefits, remarked Alan Applebaum, director of technical support and new business for Flint Ink.
"UV inks are capable of being printed on a wider range of substrates. UV inks also offer printers instantaneous curing. It also provides improved color reproduction, which means brighter, sharper images with no back dry." He says that printing UV also provides reduced startup waste, improved rub and mark resistance, and higher gloss capabilities.
But the benefits don't end there.
UV curing offers some relief from high energy costs, as well as little to no environmental complications since there are no VOCs to contend with.
An important plus in adding high-speed UV dryers is also the low cost of adding UV equipment as compared to heatset, added Eric Midlik, vice president of sales for Prime UV. The equipment is less costly, press downtime is significantly reduced and UV dryers take up less floor space than trying to retrofit a press for heatset production, he said.
"With Prime UV dryers, coldset printers will increase their customer base, as well as add the ability to do high-end commercial printing on everything from newspaper inserts on coated stocks to coupons and card flip-ins."
