Who is it aimed at?

The coating is only just being introduced to customers, says Stehlin Hostag managing director David Ward, with an official launch being planned for next year. It is targeted at those who print materials for luxury brands, such as high-end cosmetics, and will, anticipates Ward, be used on a range of materials such as packaging, greetings cards, labels and brochures.

"We’re already talking to a number of customers who manufacture Christmas cards and they’re very interested in anticipation of next year," says Ward. "Every-body’s looking for innovation, everybody’s looking for something slightly different, so there’s a wide range of applications that this coating could be suitable for."

The potential applications are particularly wide -ranging, says Ward, because the coating is metal-free and meets EU food packaging standards, FDA pack requirements and EN71/3 toy safety standards.

How is the effect produced?
During manufacture, the glass pigment of the coating is dispersed using specialist techniques to ensure a high level of stability and good re-dispersion properties.  The lightweight properties of the glass flake pigment provide light settlement characteristics. This avoids the problem of sedimentation – where the flakes and liquid medium of the coating separate when stored in the coater; often seen with traditional natural mica pigments – so ensures an even covering with each application.

Can the effect vary?
The effect the coating creates depends on the colour of ink underneath, with darker colours producing a more striking effect and lighter or white areas enhanced by a subtle shimmer when the coating is applied on top. The choice of substrate also influences the effect. Smoother surfaces and – for those with a double coater – a primer applied before coating will give a more brilliant effect, as will a UV rather than water-based medium, due to the transparency and light transmittance properties of UV curable polymers. However, water-based media for application can, according to Stehlin Hostag, also be used to good effect.

Is this effect unique to this coating?
Whereas some screen processes can produce a similar glittery, glass flake effect with large particle sizes, no other coating offers this effect, according to Stehlin Hostag. "There are coatings that produce a shimmery, pearlescent finish, but nothing quite like this," says Ward. "Because the particles were so large, it was something that wasn’t really applicable to litho presses before, but this can be applied through a coater unit so it opens up many applications. You can use this on a water-based or UV coating on a normal type of press."

How easy is it to use?
The glass flake pigment coating should generally be no harder to work with than other coatings, says Ward, requiring only an initial stir with a low-speed or hand mixer before use to ensure uniform dispersion, but no further stirring once the print run has started. The clean-up of a coating unit when changing to a different coating needs standard washing solutions and procedures, he says.

Users should be aware, says Ward, that an anilox/flexer roller application using 16cm³–20cm³ cell volume is recommended as, if a smaller anilox is used, there can be incomplete transfer of the pigment and the brilliance of the coating is reduced. They should also be aware, he says, that a high-speed mixer could break the particles and compromise the glitter effect.

What are its sales targets?
"We have four or five printers in Europe using the coating and it is already generating a great deal of interest elsewhere," says Ward. "It’s difficult to put a figure on our sales target, but we’re currently talking to 12 customers, who range through greetings cards, labels and packaging, and they’re in the process of speaking to their clients who are getting their designers to come up with concepts using this new finish." 

SPECFICATIONS

Recommended anilox/flexo roller application Between 16cm³ or 20cm³ cell volume
Medium for application Water-based or UV
Price £30-£35/kg
Contact Stehlin Hostag 0115 986 0477www.stehlinhostag.com

ALTERNATIVES

Icon Pearlescent Silver Emulsion
This finish will range from a shimmering effect with the smaller particles through to a glittering appearance with the larger particles. It can be used on any press with a dedicated coating unit.

EL040 UV flexo multishift chameleon varnish
This varnish gives a multicoloured multishift effect.

Ultrachem WBC1055
This pearlescent effect finish can be used to create gold, silver or white shimmers and is applied using an inline coating unit.