Amid the global trend of the printing industry shifting towards efficiency, environmental protection, and digitalization, UV flexographic inks have emerged as a critical choice in the packaging and printing sector, leveraging their advantages of rapid curing, high durability, and low VOC emissions.

As one of the world’s largest printing markets, China has seen the rise of innovative enterprises dedicated to UV flexographic ink research and development. Among them, Huizhou Zhongzhixing Color Technology Co., Ltd. (hereinafter referred to as “Zhongzhixing”) has become a key driver of industrial upgrading through technological breakthroughs and comprehensive solutions.

I. Technological Evolution and Market Demand for UV Flexographic Inks

UV flexography (ultraviolet-cured flexographic printing) combines the flexibility of flexographic printing with the efficiency of UV curing technology, primarily applied in labels, flexible packaging, folding cartons, and other fields. Its core advantages include:

• Upgraded Environmental Performance: Utilizing UV-LED curing technology, it eliminates volatile organic compound (VOC) emissions and reduces energy consumption by over 70% compared to traditional mercury lamps, complying with strict global environmental regulations (such as the EU RoHS and US FDA food contact standards).
• Enhanced Printing Efficiency: Achieves instant curing (≤0.5 seconds) under UV light, supporting high-speed printing (80–150 meters per minute), significantly shortening production cycles and reducing ink drying time.
• Broad Substrate Adaptability: Ensures strong adhesion on diverse materials, including paper, plastic films (PET/PP/PE), metal foils, and composite materials, meeting the demands of complex scenarios such as food packaging, daily chemical labels, and electronic component identification.

Driven by rising consumer demands for packaging safety and print quality, as well as the promotion of green manufacturing under China’s “Double Carbon” goals, the market demand for UV flexographic inks continues to grow.

According to Grand View Research, the global UV ink market reached $3.2 billion in 2023, with flexographic applications accounting for approximately 25%. The Chinese market grows at an annual rate exceeding 12%.

II. Technological Breakthroughs and Product Features of Huizhou Zhongzhixing

As a leading provider of high-end ink solutions in China, Zhongzhixing has focused on UV flexographic ink research and development since its establishment in 2016. Its products stand out in environmental safety, substrate adaptability, and performance stability:

1. Environmental Safety: Full-chain Compliance Certification

Zhongzhixing’s UV flexographic inks adopt solvent-free formulations, completely free of harmful solvents like benzene and ketones. They have obtained international certifications such as SGS, FDA, and RoHS, with migration levels controlled below 0.01ppb (far lower than the EU standard of 0.1mg/kg).

For food packaging applications, the cured ink film forms a dense structure that remains colorfast and free of harmful residue after 120℃ high-temperature cooking tests, meeting the stringent safety requirements for infant food and pharmaceutical packaging.

2. Substrate Adaptability: Full-scenario Printing Solutions

Addressing common substrate challenges in flexography, Zhongzhixing has developed multi-series products:

• Paper/Cardboard-specific Type: Optimized for ink penetration and drying speed, suitable for high-end gift boxes and instructional manuals, achieving a screen resolution of up to 175 lines per inch and a color density ≥1.8 to match Pantone spot colors precisely.
• Universal Plastic Film Type: Using surface tension regulation technology, it achieves an adhesion of ≥3.5N/cm on low-energy substrates (e.g., 38 dyne PET/PP) (no fall off in 3M tape test), ideal for high-friction scenarios such as daily chemical bottle labels and express labels.
• Metal and Composite Material Type: Incorporates special coupling agents to solve adhesion issues on metallized substrates like aluminum foil and aluminized films, with an ink layer retention rate of over 98% in composite film peeling tests.

3. Curing Efficiency: Deep Adaptation to UV-LED Technology

Compatible with mainstream UV-LED equipment, Zhongzhixing’s inks exhibit high photosensitivity in the 200–400nm wavelength range, requiring only 200mJ/cm² energy for curing. This adapts to various equipment types, from narrow-web label presses to unit-type flexographic presses. Field data shows that production lines using these inks achieve a 30% efficiency increase and a 40% reduction in energy costs.

III. Industry Application Cases and Value Empowerment

1. Food Packaging: Dual Assurance of Safety and Aesthetics

A leading beverage company adopted Zhongzhixing’s UV flexographic inks for packaging labels, resolving the moisture resistance issue of traditional inks in low-temperature refrigeration.

After 30 days of storage at 10℃ and 85% humidity, the labels showed no blurring or ink migration, complying with FDA food contact standards and helping the client obtain EU market certification.

2. Electronic Labels: Breakthrough in High-temperature and Chemical Resistance

In mobile phone battery label printing on PC/PVC substrates with high-temperature processes (80℃/2 hours), Zhongzhixing’s inks demonstrated excellent yellowing resistance (ΔE≤1.5) and alcohol resistance (no fall off after 500 rubs with 75% ethanol), ensuring the durability of electronic component labels in harsh environments.

3. Daily Chemical Labels: Integration of Personalization and Functionality

An international cosmetics brand used Zhongzhixing’s UV pearlescent inks for perfume labels, achieving delicate metallic luster and gradient effects through flexographic screen control technology. The inks also met the requirements for oil and perfume solvent resistance in cosmetics packaging, enhancing the premium texture of the products.

IV. Future Directions for China’s UV Flexographic Ink Industry

As “solvent-free” and “intelligent” become industry keywords, Chinese enterprises are shifting from technology following to innovation leading:

• Material Innovation: Developing bio-based inks with degradable resins and natural pigments to respond to the global sustainable packaging trend.
• Equipment Synergy: Collaborating with printing machine manufacturers to develop integrated “ink-equipment-process” solutions for improved production stability.
• Digital Empowerment: Utilizing cloud-based color matching systems and intelligent ink consumption monitoring to help clients achieve refined management.

The practices of enterprises like Zhongzhixing indicate that the competitiveness of UV flexographic inks lies not only in product performance but also in deep understanding of industry pain points.

From substrate adaptation to process optimization, and from compliance to cost control, leading enterprises are driving the high-quality transformation of China’s printing industry through technological R&D and scenario-based solutions.

In the context of global printing industry chain restructuring, UV flexographic inks have become a core carrier for green packaging due to their technical advantages.

Chinese enterprises such as Zhongzhixing, through continuous R&D investment and compliance construction, not only meet domestic market demands but also gradually participate in international competition. For printing enterprises, choosing suppliers with technical accumulation and industry experience will be key to enhancing competitiveness—a strategic choice to jointly address industry challenges and seize market opportunities.