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Email Us: info@slik-screeners.co.uk
Call Us: 0115 932 7223
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- Specialty Inks
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Specialty Inks
Thermochromic ink
Our Specialty Inks are here to help your print stand out from the crowd and give your print that extra added value and security with multisensory print. Our security and anti-counterfeiting inks are the perfect solution to prevent fraud for high profile events on printed items such as concert tickets, entrance passes for race courses including Formula 1, often using flourescent inks which will glow when exposed to UV lights, or thermochromic inks which will change colour when the temperature changes.
Whether you choose to add textured printing into the mix (perfect for gift cards) or opt for glitter ink for some added sparkle or some glow in the dark, our range of specialty inks is sure to inspire.
Thermochromic inks are temperature changing inks (heat activated), they are available in a variety of colours and temperature ranges. Once printed the heat activated ink is opaque until it is warmed up to the desired temperature, at this point the ink will start to turn translucent and reveal hidden print underneath, this can also be called heat and reveal. As experts in colour changing ink we are hear to advise on your projects to ensure your project is a success.
Heat and reveal inks can work in the opposite way too, this is called chill and reveal. The print will be translucent below a certain temperature and will then become opaque if it goes above the desired temperature.
Thermochromic inks have a multitude of applications, they can be used in a variety of industries and can be used for promotional or medical products.
Hydrochromic ink
What is Hydrochromic Ink? Hydrochromic ink or wet and reveal ink is an opaque ink until you wet it, at which point it will go translucent. Hydrochromic inks are available in a limited range of colours. Hydrochromic printing is a specialist service that we offer to our clients, so if you have any wet and reveal projects in the pipeline, please do speak with one of our exoerienced team who will be happy to assist you.
What are the uses of hydrochromic? An example of how wet and reveal inks can be used is a children’s colouring book. The image has a full coverage of wet and reveal ink printed over it, it is then over printed with the outline of the image below. The book is supplied with a hollow pen that can be filled with water and used to colour in areas to reveal the colours underneath.
Hydrochromic lends itself to a number of applications including puzzles, magazines and games for children, distinctive business cards, innovative packaging for products and more!
What do hydrochromic inks react with? Hydrochromic ink reacts with liquids with a high water content, this means for example you can use a perfume to reveal hidden messages at perfume counters with consumers activating a variety of senses and increasing engagement with products.
Another example is in promotional products. It helps to increase user engagement by creating a sense of mystery as to what could be beneath the ink, they will then wet the ink to reveal your hidden message or promotion.
Latex Inks
Latex inks are used to make scratch cards, they are often known as scratch off inks. They are available in a limited range of colours with the most common being silver scratch off or gold scratch off. Latex ink can also be overprinted.
Scratch cards have a lot of different purposes, they can be used to give away prizes or promote products as well as being used for secure documents such as car parking scratch cards or educational documents where a code needs to be hidden until it is scratched off by the end user.
Iridescent inks
What Are Iridescent Inks? Iridescent ink produces a display of rainbow-like colours when exposed to the light, We stock a range of different colour iridescent pigments. We are able to mix these colour shifting pigments into a clear varnish which we then screen print. Once printed the optically variable ink will change colour depending on the angle of light it is under.
Iridescent inks can be used for secure document printing or secure certificate printing to help stop counterfeiting and verify product authenticity.
Fragrance burst inks
What are fragrance burst inks? Scratch and sniff cards printing (or scent printing) adds another dimension to your printed merchandise tapping into the human sense of smell, scent releasing fragrance burst ink or scratch and sniff inks are designed to carry specific scents. They can be standard scents off the shelf or they can be made to a bespoke scent. Scratch and sniff ink contains scents that have been microencapsulated into capsules. When they are lightly rubbed or scratched they will release their fragrance. Perfect for magazines launching new perfumes, or on the top of packaging for home fragrances, allowing the consumer to interact with the smell before making a purchase.
Once the ink is printed the user simply has to agitate the print area by rubbing their thumb or finger over it, breaking open the capsules and releasing the scent. For more information click here
UV inks
What is UV Ink? UV ink has been designed to be cured by ultraviolet light instead of by an air dryer resulting in a product that dries far quicker than traditional inks. We have a range of uv inks and uv varnishes which allow us to print high gloss finishes and matt finishes on onto an array of substrates such as paper, kraft board, polypropylene, PVC’s and laminates. One of the most common ways we use uv inks/varnishes is for spot UV print. We can also produce soft touch which is such a tactile finish you will simply want to stroke it. This creates a soft matt finish that can be combined with a high gloss finish and looks amazing with matt black and gloss black.
Spot uv printing is where we print the required area i.e. a logo with a uv varnish. Once printed the print goes through a uv dryer which then cures the varnish, turning it into a high gloss or matt finish depending on the finish that is requested.
Glitter Varnish
Why not add some sparkle with Glitter Varnishes that are available in a wide range of colours and particle sizes. Glitter varnishes are used for decorative finishes for seasonal greeting cards, celebratory cards as well as promotional items. We are able to print with range of glitter called bio-glitter. This product is bio degradable in fresh water and conforms to the EU 2023/2055 Micro plastic Legislation Compliance, it is also complaint with EN 71 toy Safety Regulations. Bio-glitter is made from ethically and sustainably sourced naturally derived raw materials.