Metallic Pigments: Overview and Opportunities for Digital Printing

Abstract

Advances in the short run, on-demand digital printing have brought about tremendous improvements in the quality of printing as well as the color gamut available. The use of metallic pigments in conventional printing inks to achieve exceptional brilliance and metallic effects is well known. The pigments generally used are aluminum and brass powders, which are formulated into inks. Some of the characteristic s of these metal powders are summarized, and the issues associated with their use and handling as well as the particle characteristics that bring about the desired effects are reviewed. In spite of the remarkable achievements in the field of digital printing, there have not been any developments toward the use of a metallic ink. One of the reasons for this is the incompatibility of the technology used in the digital printing process, and the metallic flake pigments used in conventional metallic inks. The present paper highlights some of challenges that would need to be addressed for developing the capability to print using a metallic ink.