Hey Man, My Cartons Are Scuffed!

If there is one ink that gives printers the blues, it's blue ink, specifically Reflex Blue. All inks are designed to dry primarily by sheet absorption and evaporation. Unlike other pigments, which have relatively small molecules with a uniform shape and surface area, Reflex Blue pigment molecules are gigantic and irregular by comparison.

When Ink manufacturers blend Reflex Blue, they must add active ingredients that allow proper wetting of the pigment. This means that Blue retains a lot more moisture and takes a lot longer to dry. Even when it feels dry to the touch, the slightest pressure can break the surface of these jagged molecules, exposing wet pigment and resulting in unsightly scuffing and marking.

The problem is even more severe when coated stocks are used as absorption is minimal and the ink lies on top of the stock. This means drying takes a lot longer and time in the printing industry is a luxury most printers do not have. Some printers even believe that Reflex Blue never really dries at all.

One way around the problem is to coat the stock after the ink has dried. As most presses have inline coating units, which coat the stock on the run, this means that additional print time needs to be set aside. The job must be removed from the press, allowed to dry and then put back onto the press for a coating. Obviously, this increases the cost of the print run and the time it takes to get the job finished.

As most jobs are quoted while the product is still in the design stages, printers often do not know what the final colours will be and end up pushing to fulfill tight deadlines under imposssible circumstances. Print buyers and Graphic Designers beware - when designing with a lot of blue, take note of the urgency and type of stock to be used.

Speak to your printer, give proper design/colour briefs at the quoting stage and avoid unneccessary grief and delays. Particularly when it comes to print jobs that require a lot of finishing, like post-press die-cutting, scoring, folding and glueing of pharmaceutical cartons, presentation folders and covers. The more the job is handled post-press, the longer the drying time required and the greater the possibility of scuffing and marking.