This is an image of Ender, my son’s male Weimaraner puppy. It is printed on an Epson Stylus Pro 7900 water-based inkjet printer using Pigment HD ink directly from Photoshop on LexJet Sunset Metallic Photo Paper. (Photo by Kara Work)

The metallic look has long been sought by digital printers both in the printing of inkjet ink and in the substrates on which they print. With new developments and heightened interest in metallic effects in digital printing, I thought it might be worth reviewing the current status of these developments. Here we will discuss both substrates that provide a metallic look as well as the increasingly popular metallic inkjet inks.

 

THE METALLIC LOOK

Metallic inks have long been used in analog printing, especially in label printing. This was not a problem for screen printing, flexo-printing or offset printing since spot colors could easily be printed using metallic inks. This effect is much more difficult to achieve using inkjet printing systems. 

 

To achieve the metallic look in the ink, it requires the incorporation of metallic flakes. Dispersing these rather large flakes, in inkjet ink terms, is challenging. The flakes will settle much more rapidly than color or black pigments since they are substantially heavier. As with white ink, the silver particles must be large to provide the expected performance. 

 

Photo courtesy of Roland DGA.

Just to be clear, the term “silver” usually refers only to the color of the metallic ink, and does not suggest that silver metal is used in the ink. Actual silver metal inks have been developed for electronics applications where the conductive nature of silver metal is required, but those used in graphics applications are not silver metal but rather aluminum flake. To achieve metallic colors other than silver process, color inks are printed over the metallic inks to tone them to copper, bronze or gold colors.

 

SILVER INKJET INKS

Following the successful introduction of the Roland VersaCAMM VS-640, which was specifically designed to deal with the settling of white and metallic inks, other manufacturers have begun promoting versions of metallic inks as well. 

 

In July, Mimaki USA Inc. announced that the company would soon offer a new silver ink for its ES3 ink portfolio of eco-solvent inks for the JV33 and CJV30 series of large-format printers. Mimaki expects to have the new inks available in October of this year. 

 

Printer with metallic ink test pattern coming out.

INX Digital demonstrated its new silver ink system on a Mimaki JV3 printer in the Technology Showcase at a trade show in Europe earlier this year and indicated that in addition to this mild solvent ink they would have a UV version ready later this year. 

 

METALLIC PAPERS

Another way to achieve a metallic finish on prints is by using a metallic substrate. Among the silver halide papers used in an Océ LightJet or Durst Lambda digital photo printer is a paper called Kodak ENDURA Metallic VC Digital Paper—a popular choice among professional photographers, especially for weddings and specialty black and white print applications. Silver halide paper provides an opalescence or metallic sheen to the prints that enhance contrast and provide a very attractive image. 

 

Until recently, no similar paper has been available for inkjet printers. Early this year, LexJet introduced Sunset Photo Metallic Paper for professional inkjet printing. According to LexJet, it closely simulates the performance of ENDURA Metallic VC Digital Paper. In both cases a high-gloss top coating and a photo base paper construction incorporating proprietary technology is used to give the effect. It has a significant effect on the reflected image density and contrast and requires an adjusted printing profile compared with regular inkjet photo paper. 

 

Other similar products are on the market or are under development including Mitsubishi Grace Pearlescent Metallic Inkjet Photo Paper. These papers are premium papers and are offered at a premium price compared with glossy photo papers.

 

Photo courtesy of Roland DGA.

SUMMARY

As we can easily see the breadth of capabilities of inkjet technology continues to increase as new applications are addressed. Metallic inkjet inks and metallic inkjet papers have been requested by end users for years. Now they are a reality. With the resolution barriers broken and now the ability to print metallic inks and on metallic papers, more analog technologies will be displaced in favor of inkjet and more opportunities for new business will come to the inkjet print provider.