Resin ink printers: How to boost productivity

Resin inks produce very low volatile organic compound (VOC) emissions, making them the ideal choice for producing graphics for hospitals and schools. Images courtesy Roland DGA

By Ginny Mumm

Resin ink and resin ink printers have been around for more than a decade. However, they are among the various digital print technologies that have undergone significant evolution in recent years, as additional manufacturers have entered the market. Today’s expanded range of resin ink products offers bold, rich colour options; an ability to handle a wide assortment of media; environmentally friendly, low volatile organic compound (VOC) output; fast-drying prints; and overall versatility, allowing users to produce a wide variety of applications, including wallpaper and fabrics, vehicle graphics, canvas printing, and interior and exterior signage.

For a closer look at the latest innovations in resin ink and printers, we spoke with Daniel Valade, product manager of digital print for Roland DGA, about how this technology has evolved to meet today’s demands, along with its benefits for professionals in the signage and digital printing industries.

Perhaps we should start by defining resin ink. Is it the same as latex ink?

Daniel Valade (DV): Resin ink and latex ink are different names for similar, water-based, multi-purpose ink technologies. There is not really any latex or resin in the inks, but the names help brands differentiate themselves.

Although many of today’s latex and resin ink technologies are similar, actual ink formulations differ from manufacturer to manufacturer. Some of them have greater media compatibility compared to others.

However, overall, media restriction is less of an issue than it has been in the past for resin and latex inks. The latest generation of formulations are designed to work well on a wide range of substrates.

How is resin ink different from eco-solvent ink or solvent ink?

DV: Solvent and eco-solvent inks contain a solvent carrier that creates a hole in the substrate, carrying the pigment into the material. After several hours, the solvent outgasses, leaving behind vibrant, durable colour.

With resin ink printing, the material is preheated, then the printer releases a droplet of optimizer on the substrate. The ink then lands in a clean dot of optimizer and has just the right amount of dot gain. Using a high-quality optimizer is critical for controlling the level of dot gain and, therefore, controlling output quality.

Today’s resin ink formulations also produce rich, vibrant colour for a wide range of applications.

How does the colour performance of resin ink compare to other technologies?

DV: In the past, resin ink colours have had a track record of not being quite as deep and rich as those printed using eco-solvent ink. However, with today’s advanced equipment and formulations, some resin inks are able to achieve colours that match the performance of eco-solvent inks.

Further, the latest printers use advanced technology such as variable dot control to fire different types of ink droplets, yielding unparalleled image quality. The newest ink formulations also create more durable prints with greater scratch resistance.