A Novel Water-Based Ink Varnish System for High-Speed Flexographic Paper Printing: Low Misting Colloid-Based Systems

In this study, ink misting performance and print resistance properties were obtained and were related to varying ink formulations using combinations of special acrylic emulsions, colloidal, and water-soluble resins. The misting and tackness performance of the two different colloids were investigated using an IGT TackOScope 3 SC. It was observed that acrylic colloids significantly affect the ink misting performance. After choosing the right colloidal resin and the optimum balance with the emulsion and water-soluble acrylic resin has yielded an excellent varnish that can be used in high-speed flexographic machines up to 700 m/min without misting. In industrial trials, 111,600 m of printing was carried out without misting and resolubility problems. In this paper, in addition to developing an ink that can run on high-speed machines, problems such as low print quality, resolubility, dry rub resistance, and tackness were solved and confirmed using industrial tests. From a sustainability perspective, process efficiency increased, and ink and paper waste minimized.