Within the different types of inks for printing in the current advertising area, a wide commercial range is formed, within which eco-solvent inks are found. Now, what is an eco-solvent ink? What is the difference with respect to solvent inks? By pure and simple logic we can deduce that the difference is in its components. To be able to enter the subject with a clearer idea, we can summarize that solvent inks are not friendly to the environment, while eco-solvent inks, due to the characteristics of their composition, are biodegradable and, therefore, friendly to the environment. If we want a graphic analogy, we can say that a solvent ink is equivalent to a plastic bag, while an eco-solvent ink is equivalent to a paper bag talking about its molecular behavior before nature.
Eco-solvent inks do not release VOCs (volatile organic compounds) into the atmosphere, have no odor, and the solvent liquids used in their composition are 100% biodegradable.
Solvent inks, on the other hand, have a very strong odor due to the type of solvent used in their formulation, they are quite aggressive and this allows them to be used to print on a wider range of substrates, among which are some vinyl and banners not laminated and cheaper. In addition, it allows to obtain very high quality printing results. During its use, essential safety measures must be observed to preserve the health of those who work with this type of inks. The extraction of air is always indispensable since the solvent inks emit gases that are potentially harmful to human beings
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In comparison with the solvents used in the preparation of eco-solvent inks, these do not represent any danger to the health of the people, so no safety measures are needed beyond those normally established for the handling because these inks are done of non-toxic chemical substances. . The benefits of using eco-solvent inks not only apply to health but also to the economy and useful life of printing equipment, since being a less aggressive product, the print heads can double their operating time and also without the high costs that for cleaning and maintenance must be observed with the use of other inks. While it is true that the quality of sharpness in printing of solvent inks is greater, the clarity of the eco-solvents is not far behind and apart from offering also a very good quality of printed images, they are designed especially for its use and application indoors and outdoors
Of course the eco-solvent inks are of more recent manufacture than the solvents since they arise as an alternative to minimize the environmental impact that is caused with the solvent ink. Little by little the teams that work with solvent ink have been disappearing from the market, being replaced by those that only allow the use of eco-solvents. It is good to clarify that those printing devices that were originally designed to use solvent ink are not able to work with eco-solvent since the behaviors are absolutely different and the result would not be as expected.