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Colors present an enduring philosophical problem that generates lofty debates about subjectivism and consciousness. Meanwhile, ink manufacturing equipment turns colors into physical objects. Perhaps paradoxically, digitalization keeps fueling the use of printing ink. From custom clothing to secondary packaging to aircraft livery, inks are everywhere. Indeed, philosophical discussions are also primarily conducted in ink on paper.

Which ink technology do you need?

Anaerobic UASB wastewater treatment

Anaerobic UASB wastewater treatment

If you need to remove organic compounds from your wastewater, the up-flow anaerobic slud…

Ultra fine bead mill for nanosuspensions

Ultra fine bead mill for nanosuspensions

Ensuring the quality, efficiency, and reproducibility of nanosuspensions throughout…

Self-cleaning bead mill for highly viscous materials

Self-cleaning bead mill for highly viscous materials

To prevent blockages, clogging, and cross-contamination coming from h…

Industrial liquid filtration system

Industrial liquid filtration system

Systems for the filtration of liquids with suspended solid contents can be challenging w…

Classifier mill for recovered carbon black

Classifier mill for recovered carbon black

Recovered Carbon Black (rCB) can be recycled back to the tire production chain a…

Milling and drying machine for fine powders

Milling and drying machine for fine powders

When you need to produce ultra-fine powders, the milling and drying process emp…

Vacuum based homogenizer

Vacuum based homogenizer

When producing liquid and viscous products such as mayonnaise, sauces, dressings and ketchup it’s vi…

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Dual channel plug diverter valve

Dual channel plug diverter valve

Short switching times are often required when diverting or combining powder or granular soli…

Light duty rotary dust valve

Light duty rotary dust valve

In some light industrial applications there is limited pressure differential for valve operation…

Ultra-fine dispersing machine for emulsions and suspensions

Ultra-fine dispersing machine for emulsions and suspensions

Producing the finest micro-emulsions and suspensions requires…

Economic dispersing machine for emulsions and suspensions

Economic dispersing machine for emulsions and suspensions

For products of medium viscosity and relatively consistent part…

Dispersing machine for emulsions and suspensions

Dispersing machine for emulsions and suspensions

Equipment operating under the rotor/stator principal is often employed whe…

Side bar filter press

Side bar filter press

Production of dry cakes is required in a variety of industries and robust, low-cost side bar filtration …

Overhead filter press

Overhead filter press

To name just a few of the myriad applications for overhead filter presses: industrial mineral industries…

Versatile checkweigher

Versatile checkweigher

This Versatile checkweigher is equipped with a highly versatile strain gauge load cell. It is also suit…

Spheronizer

Spheronizer

A spheronizer produces spherical pellets with a smooth surface and a narrow particle size distribution.

Laboratory horizontal agitated ball mill

Laboratory horizontal agitated ball mill

Tabletop model for the wet grinding of small to ultra-small product batches down to…

Horizontal Agitated Media Mill

Horizontal Agitated Media Mill

If you are looking for high end-product fineness for suspensions with good flow properties wit…

Premium vacuum conveyor

Premium vacuum conveyor

When you have a need to tailor make your conveyor and still have the high requirement on hygiene, e.g.…

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Disperse the pigment particles with ink grinding equipment


One of the main challenges in the ink manufacturing process is the agglomeration of pigment solids. Once the pigment is mixed with the solvent, its particles tend to deteriorate the ink’s color properties.


Mill the formula to disperse the particles uniformly in the vehicle. A ball mill using steel beads distributes the solids evenly, developing colors to their maximum. High-shear ink manufacturing equipment like the three-roller grinder enhances gloss by breaking down agglomerates and reducing the surface area of particles.


Blend pigment particles in a solvent-based varnish

The defining ingredient in inks is pigment. These particulate solids selectively absorb or reflect light to produce a color. But as insoluble materials, pigments do not automatically lend their tinge to other objects.

These colors are made transferrable by mixing pigments with a vehicle substance. Unlike dyes, pigment crystals do not alter their shape or characteristics when blended. But the vehicle’s composition affects the ink product’s properties – luminosity, viscosity, abrasiveness, and tackiness.

Select the base for solvent inks depending on their boiling point


The primary function of a solvent in an ink manufacturing line is to keep the final product in liquid form. Volatile solvents such as ethyl acetate have a low boiling point, are ideal for inks designed to evaporate quickly, and are often used in flexographic and gravure printing processes.


On the other end of the scale, inks made for screen-printing are based on solvents with high boiling points like butyrolactone and butoxyethanol. Solvents with moderate boiling points develop inks suitable for lithography.


Add a resin to improve the adherence of printing ink

The viscosity of the final product is critical, but ultimately, inks are produced to stick to surfaces. Inks need binders to grip to the medium, whether they visualize a serial number of a box of tablets or a pattern on a roll of wallpaper.

Formulate your vehicle with resins to turn the solution into a film when it is pressed in place. Cellulose derivates, acrylics, and rubber resins add gloss and resistance to the ink.

Treat oily media with high temperatures when formulating vehicles


Dissolve the solvent and binders in a mixer to formulate the base. Oleoresinous media like alkyds need to be heated at temperatures between 120°C and 260°C to reach complete dissolution.


When the primary formula is mixed, combine additives to modify the physical properties of the vehicle. Among these, plasticizers improve flexibility; chelating agents increase the viscosity, and waxes add rub resistance to the manufactured ink.


Processing steps involved in ink making

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