Flint Ink Launches X-Treme Dispersions Colorants for Water Inks

Published: January 14, 2004, By PRESS RELEASE

ANN ARBOR, MI, USA— Flint Ink says it has launched a revolutionary, highly concentrated color technology for water inks called "X-TREME Dispersions." According to the ink manufacturer, "The new colorants increase the color strength of water ink systems by 20 percent without compromising the runnability of the ink. In the past, increasing pigment strength in water ink systems made them heavier, more viscous, and difficult to run. X-TREME Dispersions enable printers and converters to create sophisticated, detailed graphics of intense color with thinner ink films at faster press speeds."

Adds Flint Ink director of marketing Steve D'Angelo, "Our XTREME Dispersions are the single most significant technological advancement in water inks in the past 10 years. X-TREME Dispersions use a unique, proprietary chemistry to create stronger inks without increasing viscosity, resulting in significant improvements in print quality, ink curing, and press speed. Printers gain high-strength color, high-end graphics capabilities, and on-press stability in one product," he says.

D'Angelo credits Flint Ink's vertical integration for development of the new technology, citing the cooperation among pigment scientists, pigment and dispersion manufacturing, and the packaging division's product development lab.

Flint Ink says the new dispersions yield clean, precise images on combination plates fitted with the finest anilox rolls. X-TREME Dispersions are available in an array of Pantone colors and can be utilized for both flexographic and gravure presses. "The new colorants create additional press efficiencies. The inks are more fluid and easier to handle, allowing for faster filling of ink cells. In addition, the high color concentration of the pigments makes the residual ink easier to recycle," states a Flint Ink press release, adding that, "By ensuring an optimal relationship between ink strength and ink film thickness applied on the press, X-TREME Dispersions provide significant cost-savings. The new dispersions help converters achieve color targets with thinner ink films, creating dramatic improvements in ink mileage."

Learn more about X-TREME Dispersions and Flint Ink at flintink.com.