Marabu introduces world’s first commercially available water based pad printing inks

01 January 2021: Pad printing has long been dominated by solvent-based inks. So, Marabu GmbH & Co. KG, has released the world’s first commercially available waterbased pad printing ink called Maqua Pad MAP. According to the company’s statement, the range is a wish come true for printers who employ the pad process but would prefer eco-friendlier and nearly odour-free alternative inks.

Toy manufacturers have long used bright hues to decorate their goods, from mobiles to figurines, and from train sets to sports gear. So, the new Maqua Pad MAP water-based pad printing inks open up nearly limitless opportunities for decoration.

The inks are available in satin-gloss and high-opacity colours. The new pad printing ink range is a press-ready, single-component system. It can be diluted with Retarder WV1 where required. The inks are not limited by pot life, meaning the product can be used in its entirely, avoiding waste in most cases.

Maqua Pad MAP is ideal for decorations that must meet exceptionally strict safety standards – for instance, in the children’s toy industry. Recent tests indicate that the inks are also suitable for textile printing. Industry players are placing ever-greater emphasis on the environment and sustainability – including the more targeted and careful use of resources.

Dr. Wolfgang Nowotny, Technical Project Manager for the Sensitive Products Segment, Screen and Pad Printing Inks, is very proud of this achievement, says “The water-based pad printing inks can, for instance, be employed for baby and toddler products and children’s toys, as well as for the textile industry. A key strength of Maqua Pad MAP is that it is almost odour-free, and so is very pleasant to work with. The solvent content of the ink is very low (under 10%); therefore, it also has a very low VOC (volatile organic compound) content.”

Maqua Pad MAP is suitable for printing on painted and unpainted wood, ABS, PVC and PC. It can also be used on suitably pre-treated PP and coated substrates. Marabu is currently conducting wide-ranging and promising tests on all kinds of textiles with the aim of soon offering textile companies, too, a genuine alternative to conventional solvent-based pad printing inks.

www.marabu-inks.com