Printing ink is a kind of liquid substance containing pigments or dyes mixed with a binder or carrier, for a purpose of reproducing printed text and images on paper or other materials. It is used in various printing processes such as letterpress, offset, flexographic, gravure and digital printing. Pigments or dyes give the ink its color, and binders or carriers help hold the pigments in place and transfer them to the substrate during printing. Printing inks are available in a variety of colors, types and viscosities to meet different printing needs.

Why are antifoams and defoamers used in printing inks?

The printing quality can be guaranteed only when the ink texture is uniform. However, some printing auxiliaries contain foam-promoting substances, and foaming will destroy the uniformity. Defoamers are used in printing inks to reduce or eliminate the formation of foam during printing press manufacturing, shipping and application. Foam can lead to various problems, such as trapped air in the ink, reduced print quality, and equipment failure. The benefits of defoamers to improve ink flow, reduce waste and ensure consistent print quality make them an important part of the printing ink formulation process.