Controlled Acceleration of Intaglio Ink Curing via Encapsulated Additives

Intaglio printing is an effective and widely used method for large-scale printing. However, the extended ink drying time, achieved over the course of days via an oxidative mechanism, can lead to unwanted ink transfer and smearing of the print. Adding oxidants directly into uncured ink can cause premature curing in undesirable locations, which leads to negative impacts on the printing quality and equipment. Herein, we propose the use of microcapsules filled with organic peroxides that are designed to rupture during printing. These microcapsules provide strategic on-demand release of their contents when subjected to the mechanical force of intaglio presses, in turn hastening oxidative cross-linking only after the ink has been applied to the substrate. The addition of accelerant-loaded microcapsules can reduce the drying time of intaglio ink by 50%, and this technology can be easily incorporated into the existing printing infrastructure.