Gold Bronze Pigments for Printing Inks – Enhancing Packaging and Labels
Gold bronze pigments have become essential for the printing ink industry, enabling the creation of brilliant metallic effects that enhance the quality, value, and visual appeal of packaging, labels, print advertising, and wallpaper. From flexographic and gravure printing to screen and offset lithography, these pigments are the key to achieving eye-catching gold and copper finishes that command consumer attention.
The Role of Gold Bronze Pigments in Printing Inks
In the printing industry, the use of gold bronze pigments is very popular for increasing the quality and value of packaging, labels, print advertising, and wallpaper. SCHLENK has developed metallic pigments and intermediate products and solutions for a wide variety of printing substrates and processes, including offset lithography, flexo, gravure, and screen printing, as well as textile printing.
Key Printing Ink Applications
Flexographic and Gravure Printing
Gold bronze pigments are widely used in flexographic and gravure printing inks for packaging, labels, and decorative prints. Products such as STANDART® ROTOFLEX Rich Pale Gold by Eckart are flake metal powders based on a copper-zinc alloy, specifically designed for flexographic and gravure printing inks.
Screen Printing
Screen printing inks with aggressive formulation components benefit from gold bronze pigments with high resistance, such as those in the Constant® series by Schlenk. These pigments are used for high-resistance requirements in screen printing applications.
Offset Lithography
Gold bronze pigments are compatible with offset lithography processes, enabling the production of high-quality metallic prints for packaging and commercial printing.
Textile Printing
The textile printing industry also utilizes gold bronze pigments to create metallic effects on fabrics. Schlenk's product range includes solutions for textile printing.
Key Products and Suppliers
| Product | Supplier | Key Features |
|---|---|---|
| Blitz® G2081 | Sun Chemical (DIC) | Noble gold shades, no separation, for printing inks |
| STANDART® ROTOFLEX | Eckart | Flake metal powder, flexo and gravure printing |
| Constant® | Schlenk | Inorganic coated, high resistance, screen printing |
| Aquador® | Schlenk | Water-based pastes, for waterborne systems |
Market Trends
The printing ink industry is increasingly focused on sustainability, driving demand for water-based and low-VOC formulations. Manufacturers are developing water-based gold bronze pigment pastes that offer excellent stability and printability while reducing environmental impact.
Future Outlook
Gold bronze pigments for printing inks are expected to see continued demand, driven by the growth of luxury packaging, premium labels, and decorative printing. The development of more sustainable and high-performance pigment formulations will further expand the application range of these versatile colorants.
