Ink Types
Looking at all the various types of ink.
Non-porous ink
It is primarily used for printing on plastic, metal, rubber and other non-porous surfaces. Since this kind of ink does not get absorbed by the material, it dries solely via oxidation.
Metallic Ink
This contains powdered metal or pigments that simulate metal to create a unique look of gold or silver. Sometimes the metallic ink’s effect is impressive enough to eliminate the need for foil stamping. However, it is more expensive to produce and has a shorter shelf life.
Magnetic Ink
Magnetized ink is a petroleum-based ink that has been combined with magnetic iron oxide particles thus enabling printed documents to be electronically sorted via their magnetic properties.
A common use of magnetic ink is the MICR number at the bottom of a cheque allowing the scanner to read and sort it.
Fluorescent Ink
A great choice for emphasizing and grabbing attention to your sign or poster! Bear in mind that fluorescent ink does tend to fade after a time but creates a distinctly accentuated look.
Phosphorescent Ink
A compelling kind of ‘glow in the dark’ ink, it "charges up" under normal visible light and then gives out light in darkness.
The length of time it will glow in the dark will depend on the time length it has been pre-exposed to regular light. This option is useful for road signs, sporting goods and safety products.
Pearlescent Ink
This ink type applies a particular depth and intensity to printing and can create an almost three-dimensional effect to the printed area.
Edible Ink
When ink has to come into contact with food such as on cakes and icings there is an edible, non-toxic choice. These kinds are strictly government-regulated for health reasons.
Moisture Resistant Ink
A sensible option for outdoor printing, moisture resistant ink will protect your printed item from the elements.
Security Ink
There are a variety of inks available that work as security features to help protect sensitive documents from being tampered with or duplicated.
Security inks include:
- Bleeding Ink
- Coin Reactive Inks
- Erasable Ink
- Pen Reactive Ink
- Heat Reactive – Irreversible Ink
- Visible Infrared Inks
- Optically Variable Inks
- Penetrating Ink
- Photochromic Ink
- Solvent/Chemical Reactive Inks
- Thermochromic Ink
- UV Invisible Fluorescent Inks
- Water Fugitive Ink
Electronic Ink
Electronic ink responds to electrical impulses to enable changes in text and image displays. It is comprised of millions of tiny capsules filled with dark dyes as well as white ink chips. Depending on whether the electrical impulses are positively or negatively charged the chips will either surface or recede allowing for colour changes in the display.
