Ink - substrate interaction

Spreading and drying phenomena are very important in the ink - substrate interaction. A fundamental understanding of these interactions allows adjusting dot size, color gamut, gloss and image quality.

Three major factors are influencing spreading of the ink on the substrate: the surface tension of the ink, the surface energy of the substrate and the roughness of the substrate. The timescale of the drying process after jetting the ink drops can interfere with the spreading process.
A dry final image can only be established by removing liquid carrier that is necessary for the jetting process. Drying can be accomplished by absorption in a porous substrate and/or evaporation of the liquid or by polymerization of liquid monomers under radiation, for example UV-light (UV-curable inkjet ink).

Physical properties such as adhesion, flexibility and scratch resistance of the final image are determined by a combination of ink, substrate and, when needed, substrate (pre)treatment characteristics, and can be tuned to requirements.
We are experienced in fine tuning ink - substrate interactions depending upon the specific characteristics of the printing system and the application. Controlling spreading and drying/curing is one of our key capabilities. We have experience with pre-treatments of the substrate to control the ink spreading on the substrate.