The ink manufacturer said that the move would affect both conventional sheetfed and UV inks where light fastness and chemical resistance are required, including in packaging and outdoor applications such as billboards and window displays.

Sun Chemical said that the main inks that would be affected for these markets were Pantone Violet, Pantone Blue 072 and Pantone Reflex Blue, as well as resistant-black process inks.

The ink giant said the increase "has become essential" after the cost of the pigment went up by 70% during the past year, with further increases also expected.

Felipe Mellado, chief marketing officer of Sun Chemical, said the supply of Violet 23 started to become an issue at the end of 2009, when availability of Carbazole, the key material from which Violet 23 is produced, started to reduce in China and India.