Resins are often called the backbone of a printing ink. Many of an ink’s most critical properties, from gloss to durability and so much more, can at least be partially attributed to resin selection.

Jennifer Sinsigalli, head of sales – resins, North America for BASF, observed that resins bring a variety of performance properties to ink formulations.

“They are used to disperse and stabilize pigments and other particles in the manufacturing process,” Sinsigalli noted. “Resins also affect the performance and reliability of the printing ink during the printing process. As the primary binder, resins also provide the film properties of the ink critical to end-use performance, such as gloss, adhesion and resistance properties.”

Sinsigalli also pointed out that resins are increasingly selected to improve the sustainability of printed materials.

“The choice of resin technology can reduce the environmental impact of packaging by improving recyclability or compostability,” she said. “Resins also can interact synergistically with additives and other raw materials, and BASF’s broad portfolio of resins and additives can help formulators develop solutions for their most challenging applications.”

Dr. Nabil Naouli, Mitsui Chemicals representative, observed that resins are essential to ink formulations, providing adhesion, gloss, durability, flexibility, and chemical resistance while also influencing drying speed, viscosity, and printability.

Miriam Peralta, global marketing manager, Lubrizol Performance Coatings, noted that in digital ink formulations, the resin brings key properties that set the performance and final properties of the formulated ink.

“The resin contributes to improve adhesion and wetting to multiple substrates, viscosity control to improve flow properties during the printing process, jettability and improved ink drying speed among the main ones,” Peralta added. “The resin could also have a key impact on the final appearance of the printed pattern, like gloss. As substrates might vary a lot from very flexible ones to more rigid ones, the resin could also play a significant role imparting the proper mechanical properties. Durability could also be improved when the proper resin is selected, improving scratch, UV and chemical resistance, for instance.”

“Rosin-based resins typically represent a substantial percentage of most ink and coating formulas and can be a valuable source of bio-renewable content, which contributes to sustainability,” said Gene Cassidy, senior manager, corporate accounts and customer service for Lawter. “Many Lawter rosin resins have as much as 75-80% BRC and have low carbon footprints.”

Growth in Inks and Graphic Arts

The ink industry has witnessed significant changes in recent years, with digital technologies on the rise and sustainability a key emphasis. Nikhil Pampatwar of Verified Market Research noted that the ink and graphic art sector has undergone a significant transformation over the past few years.

“The growth is mainly driven by the growing focus on environmental sustainability, rising awareness, advancement in technology, and a shift in consumer demands,” Pampatwar said. “As the demand increases for high-end quality packaging and labels, the need for advanced ink technology is rising continuously. Companies are specifically focusing on development of inks that offer high quality, durability, and sharpness, while also meeting environmental compliances.”

Cassidy said that over the past several years, rosin resins for packaging inks have shown the most organic growth.

“This is due primarily to brand owners requesting higher levels of sustainability and BRC,” Cassidy added. “We have also seen a move away from phenolic resins to phenol-free alternatives.”

Peralta pointed to water-based digital ink systems for packaging applications such as corrugated board, folding cartons and flexible substrates, as well as the huge growth in DTF (direct-to-film) printing for textile decoration, as strong growth areas.

Dr. Naouli noted that the ink and graphic arts industry is experiencing significant growth in digital printing, packaging applications (especially flexible and food packaging), and sustainable ink technologies.

“At Mitsui Chemicals, we see increasing demand for high-performance resins that enable better adhesion, faster curing, and improved colorfastness, especially on wet rubbing test but also regulatory compliance, particularly in food-safe and low-VOC applications,” Dr. Naouli added. “The shift toward eco-friendly and energy-efficient printing technologies is also driving innovation in the market.”

Sinsigalli said that after some volatile years impacting both supply and demand for inks and coatings, the market appears to have settled back into a steadier state, generally aligned with broader consumer habits and GDP.

“After taking a backseat during recent years, we see sustainability increasing in importance across the industry,” added Sinsigalli. “The drive for ever-increasing bio-renewable content in inks and coatings continues to pick up speed. BASF is positioned to support customers in attaining these goals through our range of Joncryl BRC products. Long-awaited growth in digital printing is also starting to materialize in a bigger way.”

Resin Technologies and Sustainability

As companies look toward more sustainable products, water-based and UV-curable technologies have grown in use.

“The trend to move towards more water-based ink technologies, especially in packaging involving food, as they are deemed a greener, safer and a more sustainable solution, has meant that ink formulators have had to identify suitable new resins for these types of applications,” Lubrizol’s Peralta observed. “Indirect food compliance is a key feature of these ‘new’ resins.

“Digital printing can be seen as a more sustainable printing method due to many factors such as print on demand, which can result in lower amounts of waste and less energy consumption,” Peralta added. “So, in this sense, any resin that helps enable the growth of digital print in more industrial applications could be seen as being a more sustainable solution.”

Peralta noted that resin technology could be different depending on the final ink requirements, from water-based acrylics to polyurethane dispersions.

“The trend in the market that we are seeing is for growth due to their environmental positive impact,” Peralta observed. “Production of these technologies face the same challenges for availability and pricing of specific raw materials as do similar technologies used for similar coating applications. Global supply chain dynamics and geopolitical conflicts could always cause some supply disruptions.”

Dr. Naouli observed that water-based and UV-curable technologies have gained significant traction due to their lower environmental impact and regulatory advantages.

“Water-based resins are widely used in packaging and publication inks, while UV-curable systems are favored for high-speed printing and specialty applications due to their fast curing and durability,” Dr. Naouli said. “Mitsui Chemicals continues to innovate in both areas, developing resins that enhance performance while supporting industry trends toward sustainability and efficiency.”

Dr. Naouli added that resin selection plays a crucial role in sustainability, as the industry shifts toward bio-based, water-based, and low-VOC resins to minimize environmental impact.

“Across the ink market, formulators are prioritizing resins that not only meet sustainability targets but also maintain high performance, ensuring compliance with evolving regulations while enhancing ink durability and print quality,” Dr. Naouli said.

“We have seen increasing interest in the use of rosin-based resins as alternatives for water-based and energy-curable resins for sustainability and performance reasons,” said Cassidy. “Lawter’s resin portfolio has grown accordingly.”

BASF’s Sinsigalli noted that water-based and UV-curable resins are well-established chemistries for printing inks and packaging coatings.

“Various regulatory drivers continue to drive interest and growth in water-based and energy curable inks and coatings as a low VOC and sustainable alternative to solvent-based systems,” she added. “BASF has also been supplying components into water-based inks and coatings for quite some time and continues to see market growth for water-based and energy-curable formulations as an alternative to solvent-based options. Water-based technologies have continued to develop to meet the performance and cost targets of the most demanding applications.”

However, cost remains a factor.

“So far, the consumer has showed limited willingness to pay a higher price for more sustainable products and we have seen this pressure ripple up the value chain to raw material suppliers like BASF,” added Sinsigalli.

“Sustainability is certainly a key factor when customers are making buying decisions, but it does not outweigh other critical performance or economic factors,” Sinsigalli concluded. “As a result, BASF has taken a pragmatic approach to the development of our sustainable portfolio, focusing equally on incremental innovations that meet the market needs today while also dedicating resources to the products we’ll need further into the future.”