Mimaki Engineering Co. Ltd. (Nagano, Japan) has announced that 3M Company (St. Paul, MN) has developed UV-flexible inks for the new Mimaki UJV-160 roll and rigid hybrid printer, due out spring 2008.
3M and Mimaki Engineering have a 20-year partnership, but this is the first time the two have collaborated to offer a new UV-flexible ink. 3M vinyl print media has been a supporter of Mimaki’s JV3 and JV33 wide-format, solvent-inkjet printers. The companies say they anticipate a shift toward flexible UV printing for various applications such as P.O.P. printed on clear and metallic substrates, textiles and rigid materials.
The new UV-flexible inks offer high pigment density and minimal volatile organic compounds. Seven UV curable ink colors will be available: C, M, Y, K, Lc, Lm and white.