The latest offering from Sun Chemical is a vegetable oil-based ink that is suitable for use on a wide range of substrates including matt and gloss coated paper, uncoated paper, paperboard and folding carton board.

SunLit Crystal, is aimed at high visual impact printed applications such as leaflets, books, calendars, magazine covers, CD/DVD inserts, greetings cards as well as non food packaging.

The product is suitable for use on both straight and perfecting presses and according to Sun Chemical is particularly efficient when fed to one or more presses though a central pumping station.

SunLit Crystal’s composition in based on between 75 and 82% organic vegetable-based renewable raw materials, depending on colour, the manufacturer claims

The product, which has been in Beta testing over the past six months is now available to buy in the UK in volumes of 1kg and 2.5kg vacuum packaging, 2kg cartridges, 200kg drums.

Bernhard Fritz, product manager sheetfed systems Europe, said its environmental credentials would be of particular benefit to print buyers, particularly for international companies.

He added: "From our ongoing R&D we know there is real demand. We are getting great interest in this ink from Latin America as well as in Asia. We’ve received great feedback from our Beta testers about its excellent lithographic performance and optical properties."

Fritz said that SunLit Crystal could help replicate in print the type quality and vivid images that are standard in electronic media.

Its launch is the latest in a string of new inks unveiled by the company this year including a packaging specific line and a range for wide-format printers.