As the name implies, UV inks cure under UV light. The inks themselves are composed of solid monomers and oligomers – molecules and molecular complexes that determine the physical properties of the ink – as well as pigments and performance additives. The inks also contain a photoinitiator that, when exposed to UV light, releases free radicals that enable the oligomers and monomers to bond, creating a solid ink image. The ink itself sits on top of the substrate, rather than settling in, making it ideal for printing on smooth surfaces. Benefits of UV Inks Since it was introduced, UV ink has grown to dominate the industrial screen printing market. In fact, in the United States, UV inks make up between 60 to 65 percent of ink sales in the screen printing industry. There are several reasons UV inks have come to dominate the screen printing ink market. Those reasons include: • Nearly instant curing. UV ink cures almost instantly when exposed to UV light. For screen printers, that means faster production time. On top of that, the curing window for UV inks is more forgiving than solvent-based inks, making it very difficult to over-cure UV inks. uv printer • Faster production times. Because UV inks can be cured almost instantly, it can be faster and easier to produce UV printers, depending on the number of colors you need to print and the curing unit you have available. • No toxic fumes. Unlike their solvent-based counterparts, UV inks emit no volatile organic compounds during curing, making them a more environmentally-friendly and worker-friendly ink option. uv ink • Clear detailing. UV inks are thin and generally call for printing through a finer screen mesh. The ink allows printers to achieve extremely fine graphic details when screen printing with UV inks.