As of 15 January 2019, prices will go up on liquid ink products from the US-based manufacturer. Most product prices will rise by around 4%-5%, according to Sun Chemical, but the increase for certain pigments such as R169, azo yellows and reds and phatalo blues will be “much higher”.

The move was attributed to the annual rise of costs on a variety of raw materials including solvents, acrylic derivatives, organic pigments and polyols, and isocyanates. Sun Chemical also referred to ongoing Chinese initiatives to tighten environmental regulations at chemical plants as a stumbling block.

Chief marketing officer Felipe Mellado said: “We have made significant efforts in diversifying the sources of supply and adsorbing those increases for a long time thinking of the situation as a short disruption, but that attitude is no longer sustainable.

“We will continue efforts to mitigate the increases by looking at alternative suppliers and leveraging our purchasing power. There may be a chance it could affect UV products as they live in a very demanding situation, but we have already increased their prices in past months.

“Hopefully we will not have to raise prices, but we live in a time of very changeable and volatile scenarios.”

Price rises across the consumables market continue apace, with recent announcements from paper manufacturers such as German firm Zanders and the Portugal-based Navigator Company.

Flint Group previously announced its own price rises in September on its conventional and UV sheetfed inks and coatings.