What is it?
World Series is a four-colour ink process manufactured and supplied by Sun Chemical for use on all types and sizes of sheetfed offset litho presses. It is a vegetable-based product that is able to run equally well both with and without isopropyl alcohol (IPA) fount solutions.

How long have you been using it?
Sun Chemical has supplied Wyndeham Grange with inks for well over 15 years, but we began testing World Series as soon as it was launched at the end of 2004.

What presses do you use it with?
We use it on four Komori SP40 perfecting presses and one Komori 540 Lithrone press.

What were you using before?
We were using Sun Chemical’s Ultrapunch range of inks.

Why did you choose this range of inks?
Because it produces a very sharp, clean dot and offers superior performance on all our machines, including our double-decker perfecting presses. We like it because it is a ‘forgiving’ product that is extremely easy to use, helping us cut back on the amount of copies we end up discarding and saves unnecessary waste of time and money. We also use it for its versatility as the ink adheres well to a variety of stocks, from 65gsm to 400gsm. It’s great value for money.

What do you use it for?
We use it for everything from general jobs to top quality trade magazines. We use it to produce around 250 monthly and weekly titles, varying in length from 1,000 up to 75,000.

What other consumables are you using it with?
We are using the inks in conjunction with a number of other products supplied by Sun Chemical. These include: Rycoline, which eliminates the need to use alcohol in the fount solution mix; hydrophilic rollers that ensure a more even and continuous dampening film is applied to the printing plates; and set-off spray powder to improve the general performance of the printing process.

Have your customers commented on the quality of print you produce?
Although we haven’t received any direct feedback, we know our customers want the best and we tend to only receive comments if for any reason their expectations have not been met. I therefore take our customer’s silence as a compliment.

Would you recommend it to other printers?
Definitely. Unless they are a competitor of ours, in which case I have plenty of alternatives I’d like to suggest.

How does World Series compare to other ink systems on the market?
We have trialled other inks, but none have performed as well. Unlike World Series, competing brands tend to either set too fast on our perfecting presses, which can cause the ink to pile up on the cylinders and clog the ink ducts, or they take too long to dry, which can delay the finishing process and reduce our profit margins due to downtime.

What are the benefits of using these inks?
As we are able to use it with alcohol-free fount solutions, the most significant benefit is that we are saving £50,000 a year, mainly due to the fact we have reduced the amount of consumables we require, but also because World Series has enhanced our profitability by allowing for the swift finishing and processing of material once it comes off press.

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CONCLUSION
User’s verdict
Quality 5/5
Versatility5/5
Eco credentials 5/5
Value for money 5/5
Supplier’s Response
Peter Elliott, who heads up Sun Chemical UK’s commercial business, explains: “Sun Chemical’s World Series is a four-colour ink process for use on all types of sheetfed offset litho presses including eight-, 10-, and 12-colour, multi-colour and perfecting systems. It is suitable for printers operating in commercial, publishing and packaging sectors, as well as more specific application such as wet glue labels. It offers high quality and exceptional stability, plus a cost-effective, ‘aftermarket’ ink that, with the option of a matched fount solution and coating package, has been designed to optimise value and productivity.”
Price On application
Contact Sun Chemical (UK) 01773 813704