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UV Printer & Prints Making us Sick

dreko

dreko

New Member
Maybe move into a SwissQ UV flatbed? I think those inks might not have any smell....
 
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dreko

dreko

New Member
When UV inks haven't cured entirely, especially due to a porous absorbent substrate.. the inks will penetrate and not cure for a very long time. Sadly, the smell/fumes of the UV ink will continue for quite a long time
Roland Eco UV inks are very smelly, not sure why they label it 'eco'
just my 2 cents
 
Inks

Inks

New Member
Ma_____ said:
Check this out for more details:

Ultraviolet Process Hazards

Ultraviolet Process Hazards: Ulraviolet (UV) curable inks, varnishes and lacquers are composed of liquid components which co-polymerize to a plastic solid wh
teamster.org teamster.org


eco = economic
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Good article basically stating everything I have mentioned in the thread. UV inks have been used regularly for 40 years or so, none if this is new. I am surprised the equipment and ink manufacturers are not helping out their customers with handling instructions.
 
U

unclebun

Active Member
Solventinkjet said:
People tend to think the eco in Eco Sol Inks means ecologically friendly when in reality it's always meant economical. It's a marketing tactic.
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I don't think that's true. Here's a description from Perfect Colour:

The benefits of eco-solvent printers​

Eco-solvent inks have their colours suspended in a mild biodegradable solvent, which means that the ink has virtually no odour as they don’t contain as many volatile organic compounds. They’ve been around since the early 2000s and originally were designed for general signage work.

The lack of smell is a real plus point for eco-solvent inks. In some solvent inks not only do you get a strong smell during the printing process, meaning you need to consider the placement of your printer, but they can also leave an odour on the printed material itself. This can rule out printing onto material which will be displayed or used indoors.
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As to cost here's what they say about that
If cost is a factor, you should be aware that eco-solvent inks are more expensive than solvent inks, due to the number of benefits that you get with eco-solvent printing. However, they are widely used by businesses and individuals who are just starting out, or who have a medium-sized printing need. Industrial printing is still typically done with solvent inks.
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Having been in the environment of one of the original solvent inkjets, then having purchased and used a mild solvent printer and then two eco-solvent printers, I can assure you that the solvent inks were far cheaper to purchase, but the eco-solvent printers are far more pleasant to work around.
 
dreko

dreko

New Member
Solventinkjet said:
People tend to think the eco in Eco Sol Inks means ecologically friendly when in reality it's always meant economical. It's a marketing tactic.
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From Roland:

"Unlike solvent-based printing methods, which release volatile organic compounds (VOCs) into the atmosphere, UV printing is eco-friendly. It doesn't emit harmful fumes, making it a cleaner and safer choice for industrial applications."
"New wide-gamut, environmentally friendly EUV5P inks are offered...."
 
V

victor bogdanov

Active Member
dreko said:
From Roland:

"Unlike solvent-based printing methods, which release volatile organic compounds (VOCs) into the atmosphere, UV printing is eco-friendly. It doesn't emit harmful fumes, making it a cleaner and safer choice for industrial applications."
"New wide-gamut, environmentally friendly EUV5P inks are offered...."
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Its all marketing BS, if you do read the safety documents buried deep on printer manufacturers websites you'll be scared to breathe around any printer

Compare the marketing text with the MSDS

https://global.rolanddg.com/-/media/roland-apac/mea/sds/euv5-xx_sds_en_qa.pdf

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MarkSnelling

MarkSnelling

Mark Snelling - Hasco Graphics
depps74 said:
does this mean all prints on a UV will smell forever? or does the smell go away over time?
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I've found that 'absorbent' substrates like soft wood and uncoated fabrics (think of a drop of beer on a napkin...it gets absorbed into the napkin) that you'll get that odor because not all of the ink gets fully cured. Usually on hard surfaces you get no odors. I really see it in uncoated fabrics where the ink is in the fiber and never gets fully cured....whereas coated fabrics the ink stays in the coating and gets fully cured.
 
DL Signs

DL Signs

Never go against the family
Yer' right on that.
Did tons of printing on wood on Fuji flatbeds. We did a lot of rustic store displays, after parts were cut, more to keep wood fibers from causing ongoing issues, most of it got a quick light coat of clear sealer before it came in for printing. You could tell what was sealed, and what wasn't just from the odor. After a while pretty much everything wood got sealed first, odor all but gone, and it all printed fantastic too.
 
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