UV Inks

[JustInSigns]

Hi guys

I have a customer questioning my pricing on solvent printing to a competitor that has offered to print UV cured on SAV.

As these labels are exposed out doors, being in Australia we have high UV so longevity is important.

Will UV inks last as long outdoors as solvent inks?


Hard to find any definitive answer and people are claiming 18 months - 3 years outdoors unlaminated.

 

[neil_se]

I haven't had my UV and latex printers for long enough to give a long-term comparison to my solvents, but for HP FB500/700 flatbed UV printers:

"Image permanence estimate by HP Image Permanence Lab. Display permanence tested August 2010 according to SAE J2527 using HP FB250 and FB251 Scitex Inks on a range of rigid media with up to 4 years display permanence achieved using color inks on HP Permanent Gloss Adhesive Vinyl; in a vertical display orientation in simulated nominal outdoor display conditions for select high and low climates, including exposure to direct sunlight and water; performance varies based on the color/white ink overlay combination; in addition performance may vary as environmental conditions change. For the other commercially-available media tested: actual results may vary, this information is provided for reference purposes only."

http://h10088.www1.hp.com/cda/gap/display/main/index.jsp?zn=gap&cp=20000^25083_4041_100__&jumpid=re_R10931_go/supplies/printpermanence

 

[petepaz]

on the roland inks our vendors have said the solvent will hold up longer outdoors but we have only had our uv printer for alittle over a year so don't know for sure. i bet the difference in price is uv print isn't laminated. is the customer comparing apples to apples.

 

[tomasimattia]

i dont understand why uv printer company say "uv ink is more durable than ecosolvent" and ecosol say "ecosolv is more durable than uv".... there is only one true that i know, if you use a rigid uv ink, the changes in temperature create a crack in the graphics.... flexible ink don't have this problem but have more problem to adhesion to rigid materials... i have this problem, i don't know if buy a flatbed printer because i have interior sign and exterior sign and the ecosol printer have more flexibility but flatbed can help me to have major productivity beacuse i don't make a graphics to the sign!!