Eco-solvent inks have colours which are 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. They were developed in response to an industry demand for more operator and customer-friendly inks than the original “strong” or “aggressive” solvent inks.
Strong solvents have a high content of VOCs (volatile organic compounds) which often require forced ventilation and extraction to protect the printer operators, and many of them retain a distinctive lingering smell which makes them unsuited to indoor use where it’s noticeable.
They are widely used in entry level through to mid-priced wide format inkjets, though the upper, “industrial” end of the market still has a tendency to use strong solvents for the same sort of applications.
Eco-Solvent inks are particularly useful for printing onto outdoor surfaces which will be tested by weather, light and other harsher conditions. They are also suited to small spaces which lack ventilation:
Eco-solvent ink technology bring a range of benefits over other alternatives. Here are a few:
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