A new classification for formaldehyde (CAS 50-00-0) introduced on 1 January has made any ink mixture that contains levels of 0.1% or more of formaldehyde subject to the EuPIA (European Printing Ink Association) Exclusion List.
These guidelines ensure that inks are both safe to use, by printers and end users, and safe to manufacture.
Harlow, Essex-based Luminescence learned of the impending change around six months ago and conducted a full audit to identify any of its products that may be affected.
Sales representative Jamie Ashley said hundreds of Luminescence’s customers use thermochromic ink.
“It’s a product that’s probably been in the market for around 15 years, but when people see it they still think it’s really new,” said Ashley.
“There used to be a few different suppliers of this ink in the world but this new legislation has made it a lot harder for manufacturers to be able to offer it and a lot have pulled the product from their range.”
Through its audit the firm found that the vast majority of its products do not contain formaldehyde and the products that it identified as containing it generally fall well below the 0.1% EuPIA threshold and therefore remain fully compliant.
The company adjusted the formulation of its few products that were found to contain more than 0.1% formaldehyde, to comply with the new regulations.
It said this has not affected the cost of the inks in question and has had no effect on their performance in the vast majority of cases.
The firm stressed that it will continue to sell all of the thermochromic inks it has previously offered, in a broad range of colours and temperatures, and will still include two-colour and tri-thermochromic options for offset, flexo, gravure and screen with conventional and UV drying.
“Thermochromic ink has a wide range of uses. It can be used for marketing where the client wants the user to interact with the printed area, for security applications that need to be verified without using special tools or for packaging to show it is at the required temperature,” said Ashley.
Luminescence, which has around 100 staff, manufactures security inks for items such as currency, ID cards, passports, tax stamps, certificates and driving licences.
