Sun Chemical will exhibit its range of digital textile inks at ITMA Asia 2023 (19 – 23 November 2023, Shanghai, China), with particular emphasis on its reactive ink ranges, that is says are ‘highly relevant’ to the Asian market.
Since the acquisition of Sensient Imaging Technologies in 2020, Sun Chemical has developed a variety of inks, including ‘significant’ reactive ink innovations, aimed at enhancing performance, sustainability and productivity.The company has also made significant investments in a state-of-the-art ink manufacturing site in Shanghai and has been manufacturing and supplying digital reactive inks from this facility since May 2023. This enables Sun’s inks to be supplied locally to key markets such as China, India, Pakistan and Bangladesh, allowing reduced shipment time and costs, while customers in Asia benefit from fast and responsive customer service, according to Sun.
The ink ranges to be features at ITMA Asia include Xennia Amethyst Eco RC, a reactive printing ink for industrial textile printers that is formulated to enhance production and enable customers to achieve high-volume targets in the fashion and home textile industry. It has Oeko-Text Passport and GOTS certifications as well as being ZDHC Level 3 rated.
The ElvaJet sublimation inks support Kyocera printheads with ElvaJet Topaz SC and for Epson technology, ElvaJet Opal SB will be highlighted. These ink ranges are said to offer unrivalled transfer paper compatibility, colour purity and on-printer performance as well as being certified for Eco Passport and ZDHC Level 3. A more recent sublimation ink, ElvaJet SR342, will also be on display at ITMA Asia. This addresses higher viscosity printheads such as Ricoh and Dimatix technologies and is claimed to deliver the purest colour shades, allowing an extended colour gamut combined with the best on-printer performance with optimised drying and minimal maintenance requirements.
Sun Chemical will also showcase its upcoming series of digital pigment inks for textiles, Xennia Sapphire. Initially available for higher viscosity printheads such as Ricoh Gen 5 and Fujifilm Dimatix Starfire, Sun says that Xennia Sapphire inks ‘provide a step-change in pigment printing with enhanced colour and fast performance, unrivalled print stability and ease of use’. Xennia Sapphire has been developed to have a low environmental impact with a no-water process, efficient curing and soft hand feel to reduce the need for finishing chemicals.
Edri Baggi, business manager for Sun Chemical’s Textile Inks Business said, ‘ITMA Asia is the ideal place to showcase our latest innovations that address the specific needs and challenges of the Asian textile industry, particularly where reactive inks remain a key focus. We look forward to meeting with existing and potential customers from this region to demonstrate the value that Sun Chemical can bring to their business, all while ensuring product compliance and improving their sustainability credentials.’
