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Technology Focus

Guidelines for UV Coating Applications

by Kenneth Corman, Westlam

February-March, 2008

As the use of ultraviolet (UV) cured coatings increases in popularity within the printing and
packaging industries, so does the need to understand and monitor the potential for problems.
As the extremely high gloss of UV coating exceeds all other coatings (i.e. varnish, aqueous
coatings, and even in-line UV coating on press equipment), off-line UV coating will enhance
the surface of whatever it is applied to. In addition, UV coating does not create environmental
problems (as do solvent-based coatings) and when cured properly, the UV coating will
polymerize to become a hard layer, which in turn provides an excellent protective surface for
many applications.

In order for printers to properly prepare the printed sheets for UV coating, there are certain
guidelines that should be followed. The following information will help ensure that the
finished product meets the expectations of the both the printer and the final customer.

Preparation
To guarantee that the project gets off on the right foot, a layout sheet should be provided to
the UV coater, indicating guide and gripper sides with final trim marks. Areas to be left
uncoated (such as glue flaps, etc.) should be marked. Allow a gripper of ?" and a minimum of
¼" from the image to the edge of sheet on the remaining three sides.

When spot coating, a film positive (right reading, emulsion down) with registration marks
should be supplied. Be sure to tape the film in position on a press sheet pulled from the center
of the load, and strip it into position. Larger sheets such as 28" x 40" and book-weight stocks
have a tendency to grow when absorbing moisture on rainy or humid days and shrink on
warm dry days, which affects film fit.

Inks
UV-compatible inks must be used in conjunction with UV coatings. In the past, all that was
required was for the inks to be wax free. Considering the chemical make-up of inks and the
solvents used in them today, UV coating has three requirements.

First, the inks must indeed be free of paraffin waxes, silicones, and teflon additives. Although
these additives are used in inks to resist scuffing, they greatly reduce the adhesion of the UV
coating to the inks.
Second, the pigments used also must be UV-compatible. Today, all UV coatings contain
optical brighteners which, in conjunction with the alkalines in pigments, can cause certain
colors to bleach to a lighter shade. The colors most prone to bleaching are Reflex Blue,
Rubine Red and Rhodamine Red, and any PMS color containing these colors, such as
purples.

The third requirement is that the inks are hard-drying, so as to resist the heat generated by the
UV curing lamps. This is to avoid softening the inks under heat, and offsetting at the delivery
and when stacking in skids. Whatever inks are used, ample drying time should be planned in
the production process, usually 24-48 hours depending on the coverage.

Varnish and Aqueous Coating

Although varnishes and aqueous coatings can be UV coated, caution must be used as to
which coatings are uv-compatible. Varnishes and aqueous coatings will seal in wet inks,
slowing the drying process and when UV coated, will result in unacceptable adhesion. Press
coatings (varnish / aqueous) fall into two categories:

Solvent Type: Solvent should be avoided as it uses extremely hard resins or wax additives,
which make adhesion to the substrate virtually impossible.

Water-based Topcoats: Water-based topcoats are usually an acrylic type and many of these
will not allow UV coating adhesion. While water-based primers are recommended and
usually work well, they should be tested for compatibility with the UV coating used prior to
print production.

Additives
To reduce Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs) and improve air quality, printers have had to
eliminate the use of Isopropyl Alcohol in dampening solutions. Alcohol was used to improve
the rheological properties of the ink and promote faster ink setting and drying. With the
introduction of alcohol substitutes replacing Isopropyl Alcohol, specific problems have
resulted in the printing / UV coating process.

After the sheets are printed and the aqueous coating is applied, wet ink becomes sealed
between the sheet and the aqueous coating. The emulsified ink and alcohol substitute (which
has a high vapor pressure) is then trapped, which significantly slows the drying of the ink and
ultimately requires two to three times the normal drying time. The glycols and glycol ethers
used in alcohol substitutes act as plasticizers, softening the ink which results in poor UV
coating adhesion. To reduce adhesion problems, pressmen should run the lowest water setting
possible and use fountain solutions, which contain the lowest levels of glycol and glycol
ethers. The correct aqueous primer coating will greatly affect adhesion with UV coating.

There is a word of caution in regards to offset spray powder. Although some UV coaters have
in-line sheet cleaning systems, these units are not a cure-all. Spray powders should be kept to
a minimum and all sheets should be properly dusted on both sides prior to UV coating. Spray
powder on printed sheets will be intensified when UV coating is applied, resulting in an
unacceptable sand paper effect.

Scoring, Folding, and Gluing

Any scoring required on a job should be done after the sheets have been UV coated. Normal
grain direction will help ensure that a coated sheet scores and folds correctly. When coated
paper stock is to be printed with a heavy coverage of ink, UV coated, and then scored and
folded, cracking can occur at the fold. This is an indication that the stock may not be suitable
due to the clay coating on the stock. This can be caused by stocks that have been stored for
long periods of time or by slight changes in the chemistry of the clay coating at the mill. The
clay coating should be one that has sealed the sheet well so the UV coating stays on top
during the curing process, achieving the deep mirror gloss or ‘wet’ look.

Other Considerations
Some stocks have a clay coating that is porous and can absorb UV coating before it is cured,
causing a streaking effect. Cast-coated sheets, such as Kromekote and King James, should not
be used in conjunction with UV coating.

Please be aware that when UV coating darker solid colors, fingerprints will be more likely to
show than on lighter solid colors or process colors. Uncoated stocks also should be avoided
with UV coating. When choosing a stock to be UV coated, always be sure to use an acid-free
stock. Acids in stock can cause the UV coating to ‘yellow’ and also can create adhesion
problems.

It also is best to avoid UV coating glue tabs whenever possible. The coating will deter glues
from adhering during the folding/gluing process. Although there are hot glues now on the
market to work with difficult coatings, the best solution is to keep coatings off the glue tabs
altogether.

As most finishers know, UV coatings are nearly impossible to foil stamp, therefore the foiling
process should be done prior to UV coating. Foils that are compatible to UV coating should
always be used. Embossing should be done after the UV coating process.

Metallic inks should be used with caution in conjunction with UV coating, as these are
actually tinted varnishes with metallic particles. As the varnish dries, the metallic particles
rise to the surface and rub off easily, creating an unstable surface. This makes a very weak
bond for the UV coating adherence. In the majority of cases, the UV coating will flake off
unless the metallic is sealed for protection. If an aqueous coating is used, it must be sealed
after the metallic ink dries thoroughly or the wet metallic ink will be sealed under the coating
and will not dry sufficiently to allow the UV coating to bond. A water-based primer may be
used if ample time is allowed for drying - usually a minimum of 48 hours prior to the UV
coating process.

A Final Word
For best adhesion results, inks, varnishes, and aqueous coatings must be free of waxes,
silicones, and Teflon additives. Also, special attention should be given to press chemistry
since alcohol substitutes and one-step fountain solutions contain glycol, an oil-based product.
UV coating will not adhere to oil. Please consult your supplier to be sure of product
compatibility.

In print production, prior planning is essential. Please check with your UV coating company
regarding equipment capabilities, overs required for set-up, makeready, and run waste before
printing your job.

Kenneth Corman is president of Westlam, a UV coating and laminating company in Santa

Ana, Calif. He can be reached at (714) 641-1400 or by e-mail at ken@westlam.net.