Flint Group Narrow Web has launched a UV varnish range for HP digital printed media.

“We are extremely pleased to globally launch the DigiCoat HP UV varnish range,” states Guillaume Clement, VP, Global Narrow Web of Flint Group. “We know from discussions with our converter base that UV varnishes to enhance digital printed substrates are significantly important to them. With the introduction of these innovative UV varnishes, Flint Group takes a vital step into the digital print arena to address a critical aspect of the printing process.”

Products are available from Flint Group under the following references:

• UXH00026 - High Resistant Gloss Varnish
• UXH00080 - TTR Gloss Varnish
• UXH00090 - Matt Varnish

Products are approved to be used on a global scale and compliant with chemical regulations such as TSCA, REACH etc.

“The great news is that we have developed three varnishes which give very good adhesion to un-corona-treated digital print, as well as on corona-treated digital print, which is of course the recommendation by HP,” says Clement. “However, we know that not all printers have the ability to do this today, thus our varnishes open up great new opportunities for the industry.”

Adds Par Olsson, product manager, Narrow Web EMEA: “The DigiCoat HP range is far from just another UV varnish range. In this case, we wanted to develop coatings that fully match the most stringent resistance demands. After extensive testing and simulations in our own laboratories, we submitted three types of varnishes into the HP Indigo Labels & Packaging Overprint Varnish Performance Program at Rochester Institute of Technology.

“The varnishes underwent a full baseline test, which is the most rigorous testing in the program. They performed very well achieving very good adhesion, excellent scuff, scratch and abrasion resistance. The test printers we have used in the BETA process are extremely pleased with the fact that the varnishes give excellent protection to the digital printed image, both with and without the use of corona treatment on the digital print itself.”

As a result of the positive tests results, Flint Group Narrow Web now becomes an officially recommend supplier of OPV's for use on HP Indigo's digital printed media for the self-adhesive label and packaging sector and is listed as such on the ‘My HP Indigo’ customer portal web page.

Flint Group
www.flintgrp.com