Ink technology in the digital printing sector has advanced dramatically in recent years, allowing print service providers (PSPs) to offer more products more profitably than ever. Indeed, one of the most significant new trends for the wide-format graphics market has been the introduction of specialty inks—including white, clear and ‘metallic’ formulations—that can add value to signs, banners, vehicle wraps, point-of-purchase (POP) displays, posters and decals, not to mention applications beyond signage, including labels, decorated apparel, packaging prototypes and advertising comprehensive layouts (also known as comps).
近年来，数字打印领域的油墨技术取得了显著的发展，使打印服务提供商（PSP）能够提供比以往更多种类的产品。事实上，宽幅打印市场最重要的新趋势之一就是推出了一系列特种油墨，包括白色油墨、透明油墨和金属油墨，这些特种油墨可以很好地应用于标识、横幅、车辆封装、POP展示、海报和贴花中，也可以很好地应用在标牌之外的应用，包括装饰服装、包装和广告综合布局。
For those signmakers who have not already invested in wide-format digital inkjet printers equipped to handle specialty inks, now may be the right time to expand in this direction, as these inks are now mature, stable assets, suitable for use in any production environment. There is also substantial support from elsewhere in the sign industry, including software and media, which is making the inks easier to integrate into a sign shop’s existing workflow.
对于那些尚未投资宽幅数字喷墨打印机的标识制造商来说，现在可能是朝这个方向扩展的正确时机，因为这些油墨现在已经成熟，适合用于任何生产环境，包括软件和介质在内的标识行业也提供大量支持，这使得油墨更容易融入标识制造商现有的工作流程。
To take full advantage of the new generation of inks, it is important for each sign shop to determine the best production platform to serve its business model. Many ultraviolet-curing (UV-curing) printers, especially, are available with white and clear ink options, while ‘eco-solvent’ printers are fitted with white and metallic inks, among other specialty options.
为了充分利用新一代油墨的优势，每家标识制造商都需要有个最佳的生产平台，来为新的业务模式提供条件。像许多UV固化打印机，尤其是白色和透明墨水是最好的选择，而生态溶剂打印机则可以配有白色和金属墨水等特殊选项。
Another consideration is the substrate. A flatbed model will enable direct printing onto rigid substrates for an efficient wide-format graphics workflow, while a roll-to-roll (RTR) device is well-suited for flexible vinyls, papers, banner materials, fabrics and films. Some highly versatile printers are available to help signmakers get the most output from a single investment.
充分利用特种油墨，需要考虑的一些因素，其中一个因素是基材。平板模型将能够直接打印到刚性基板上，实现高效的宽幅图形工作流程，而卷到卷（RTR）设备非常适用于柔性乙烯基材料、纸张、横幅材料、织物和薄膜。此外，一些高度通用的打印机可以帮助制造商从单一投资中获得最大的产出。
White ink: The must-have
必备品：白色墨水
Today, white ink is more than just a specialty colour—it’s an entry point to new applications, as it enables printing onto clear media, reflective surfaces and dark substrates, rather than limiting graphics to white films, boards and/or papers. As mentioned, it is available for multiple production platforms, including UV-curing and eco-solvent printers.
今天，白色墨水不仅仅是一种特殊油墨，它还是新应用的切入点，它可以在清晰的介质、反射表面和深色基材上进行打印，而不是单单将图形限制在白色胶片、纸板或纸张上。如前所述，它可用于多种生产平台，包括在UV固化和生态溶剂打印机上。
In addition to the elegance of a simple graphic or text, white ink can be printed as a ‘flood’ beneath four-colour graphics to help make them ‘pop’ visually.
白色墨水除了能体现出简单图形或文字的优雅之外，还可以为四色图形提供增亮效果，以帮助它们在视觉上养眼。
With the diversity of output that becomes possible with white ink, a sign shop can open the door to new markets for better overall growth and profitability.
随着白色墨水产品的多样化，标识制造商可以打开新市场的大门，实现更好的整体增长和盈利能力。
Clear media
清晰的介质
In the sign industry, white ink is often printed onto clear media for window displays, backlit graphics and many other applications that require some level of translucency or transparency.
在标识行业，白色墨水通常适合打印在清晰的介质上，用于窗口显示、背光图形，以及其他需要一定程度的半透明性或透明度的应用。
Metropolitan West, for example, is an interior design firm that prints white gradients directly onto clear film and then installs it into glass dividers, doors and windows for office décor. As such, white ink has become fundamental to the firm’s design approach.
例如，Metropolitan West是一家室内设计公司，他们将白色渐变油墨直接打印在透明胶片上，然后将其安装到玻璃隔板、门窗中，白色墨水已成为公司设计的基础应用材料。
Elsewhere, white ink on clear media can commonly be found in product labelling and packaging on retail store shelves. Virtuoso Graphics, for example, often relies on white ink when producing labels for high-end cosmetics products.
在其他地方，清晰介质上的白色墨水通常可以在零售商店货架上的产品标签和包装中找到。例如，Virtuoso Graphics在为高端化妆品生产标签时往往就会应用这种白色墨水。
As plastics are incorporated into product decoration, printing onto clear substrates allows customers to see through a label to an underlying product or surface, providing more of a seamless appearance.
Production
生产
Working with white ink is
straightforward once signmakers understand its performance characteristics.
一旦标识制造商了解了白色油墨的性能特点，使用就很简单了。
Profiling the media, for example, is very important. Most designers think of profiles for their colour characteristics, but they also provide the balance between heat settings, ink load and production speed for the printer. Hence, the symptoms of a poor profile tend to show up as issues with drying time, opacity or adhesion.
首先，分析介质非常重要。大多数专业人员都会根据颜色特征来设定配置文件，同时为打印机的热量进行合理设置，墨水的负载和生产速度能为整个生产过程提供平衡，但是，介质不对，就会出现透明度差或粘连的问题。
Sign shops have the option of either profiling preselected media or choosing substrates that have already been profiled for the printer in question. This is why many printer manufacturers offer their own media line, designed for optimal results.
标识制造商可以选择分析预先选择的介质，或者选择已经针对相关打印机进行分析的衬底。 这就是为什么许多打印机制造商自己提供生产介质，皆是为了获得最佳效果。
The more opaque a white ink is, the better the results. To achieve a high level of opacity and brightness, however, white ink particles are typically much heavier than those for cyan, magenta, yellow and key/black (CMYK) inks, so white ink has a tendency to settle within the printer. It thus needs to be circulated to maintain high quality.
实际上，白色油墨越不透明，效果就越好。为了获得高水平的不透明度和亮度，白色油墨颗粒通常比青色、品红色、黄色和黑色油墨大得多，因此，白色油墨倾向于在打印机机内先定好位，以保持高的质量。
For this reason, an automated ink circulation system is recommended for the proper management and dispersion of white ink. These systems help minimize the need for—and cost of—printer maintenance over time, while also ensuring the highest print quality across applications.
出于这个原因，建议使用自动墨水循环系统，来正确管理和分散白色墨水，这些系统有助于最大限度地减少对打印机维护的需求和成本，同时还能确保各应用程序实现最高的打印质量。
Finally, the printer’s raster image processor (RIP) software should recognize the unique properties of white ink. Compatibility in this area will make for much easier printer operation.
除此之外，打印机的光栅图像处理器（RIP）软件应该具有识别白色墨水的独特属性，在这方面具有兼容性，才能使打印机操作起来变得更加简单。
Clear ink: A premium finish
清晰的墨水：高档面漆
Clear ink has been one of the most exciting innovations for industrial printing, as it can add brilliance, texture and dimension to an ordinary graphic.
清晰的墨水一直是最令人兴奋的创新技术之一，因为它可以为普通图案增添光彩。
Available only for UV-curing inkjet printing devices, clear ink has been in high demand for the packaging and labelling industries, as well as for some specialty graphics. One reason for this popularity is it allows PSPs to replicate some of the most complex graphic finishes that have traditionally been generated by offset printing.
对于标识行业来说，适用于UV固化喷墨打印设备的清晰墨水的需求量很大，这其中的一个原因是，它能在复制上很好地处理一些由胶印产生的图形表面。
Applications
应用
Clear ink can be used to provide a simple matte or gloss varnish for a logo, photo or background colour; to create eye-catching reliefs and other tactile effects that encourage passersby to reach out and touch the graphic; to achieve simple embossing effects for a premium appearance; to print functional Braille dots; and to add special effects, such as faux water droplets on a champagne bottle label to simulate condensation.
透明油墨可为为标识、照片的背景颜色提供简单的哑光或光泽，创造引人注目的浮雕和其他触觉效果，触发受众者伸手去触摸图形的行为。又能实现简单的压花效果获得高级外观，还能在香槟瓶等玻璃物件上添加特殊效果，形成人造水滴模拟冷凝的效果。
Maxwell Dickson, an interior décor company, relies on clear inks when finishing the surfaces of coffee tables, which also integrate full-colour printing on tempered glass. The clear ink adds texture and durability.
室内装饰公司Maxwell Dickson在制作咖啡桌时，桌面就应用了清晰的油墨，咖啡桌将钢化玻璃上的全色印刷进行整合，透明墨水为此增添了质感和耐用性。
Indeed, enhancing durability with clear inks is particularly important for any graphics that are handled on a regular basis, as coffee tables are, or exposed to outdoor elements.
事实上，使用透明油墨增强耐用性，对于需要定期处理的图形尤其重要，因为这些图形会常时间暴露于户外。
Production
生产
Working with clear ink is easy today. Most major graphic design software suites allow it to be integrated directly into image files.
现在，大多数主要的图形设计软件套件允许透明墨水直接集成到图像文件中，使用起来非常容易。
Advances in RIP software have also made it easier to reproduce textures and patterns with precision. Some offerings include a specific pattern and texture library for clear ink, allowing signmakers to achieve reliable, repeatable results.
RIP软件的进步能更精确地复制纹理和图案，一些产品包括应用透明墨水的特定图案和纹理库，使标识制造商可以实现可靠、重复的成品出来。
Metallic ink: It sells
金属墨水
The number of sign shops using metallic inks in printing is growing at a fast rate, as the value and impact of metallic effects are quite strong. To be effective, after all, signs, POP displays, promotional graphics and labels all need to grab a consumer’s attention right away.
由于金属效果的价值和影响非常大，因此，在打印中，使用金属油墨的标识制造商的数量正在快速增长。毕竟，标识、POP展示图形都需要有足够吸引消费者的注意力才能达到最大的传播效果。
Metallic inks, more than any other specialty formulations, achieve this effect. In addition to gold, silver and bronze hues, it is possible to combine metallic silver ink with CMYK inks for a nearly unlimited number of metallic colours and pearlescent effects.
金属油墨产生的效果非常受大众欢迎，除了金色、银色和青铜色调外，还可以将金属银色油墨与CMYK油墨结合使用，以实现特殊的金属色和珠光效果。
Applications
应用
Metallic inks adhere to both coated and uncoated substrates, including PVC and PET films and photographic papers, to name a few. Calgary-based 54blue is a large-format printing shop that incorporates both metallic and white inks in window graphics for a variety of sports retailers.
金属油墨一般粘附在涂布和未涂布的基材上，包括PVC和PET膜等。例如，位于卡尔加里的54blue是一家大型的打印商，专门为各种体育零售商提供金属和白色油墨，应用在窗户图案上。
Beyond the large-format arena, however, there are also mostly untapped markets for metallic inkjet printing in areas like proofing and package prototyping. In the past, packaging prototypes could only be produced on large presses that were expensive to operate. With digital inkjet technology, on the other hand, it is now possible to print a proof or prototype with metallic inks on demand with one standard device.
然而，除了大幅面领域之外，在打样和包装原型设计等领域，金属喷墨打印市场尚未开发。过去，图形只能在昂贵的大型打印机上生产，而现在，采用数字喷墨技术，一个标准设备只需要按需打印，就能生产金属油墨的样张或原型图。
Metallic design proofs are also becoming more common because colour management software developers have integrated their technologies with wide-format printers. This allows PSPs to enjoy all of the benefits of metallic colour matching without having to invest in larger, costlier equipment.
随着色彩管理软件已经与宽幅打印机相集成，金属设计出来标识越来越普遍，这使PSP可以享受金属色彩匹配带来的所有好处，而无需投资更大、更昂贵的设备。
Production
生产
There are a number of technical factors to consider before adopting metallic inks. Like white inks, their particles are heavier than those in CMYK inks and require frequent circulation.
在采用金属油墨之前，有许多因素需要事先考虑，与白色油墨一样，它们的颗粒比CMYK油墨中的颗粒更大。
Metallic inks are also generally less scratch-resistant than CMYK, white or clear inks. To address this issue—and, for that matter, to create new colours—metallic inks are typically combined with CMYK inks, rather than printed in isolation. Lamination is also recommended to help make ../images last longer. It is a good idea to test the media in advance to ensure the results are as expected.
与CMYK油墨、白色油墨或透明墨水相比，金属墨水的耐刮擦性通常比较差。为了解决这个问题，金属油墨通常与CMYK油墨相结合，制造出一种新的颜色，以促进层压使图像持续更长时间，另外，为了实现预期的效果，提前测试介质也是非常有必要的。
Again, many major graphic design software suites now allow for metallic colours in their files and RIP software offers colour libraries with hundreds of metallic options that can be matched and reproduced with high accuracy. Signmakers can even create their own custom colours.
同样，许多主要的图形设计软件允许在其文件中使用金属色，像RIP软件为色库能提供数百种金属色调的选项，进行高精度地匹配和复制，标识制造商甚至可以创建自己的自定义颜色。
Costs
成本
Many PSPs worry about the expense of metallic inks. They do cost more than CMYK inks ounce for ounce, but less is needed to make the same visual impact. The old adage, ‘less is more,’ holds true.
金属油墨的出色得益于它的成本，其成本高于CMYK油墨，那么，如何花费更少的钱才能产生相同的视觉效果呢。
Only if they are used to cover an entire background is their cost going to hurt, but that is the exception, not the rule. Metallic inks are hardly ever used as a flood. Typically, they cover just a small fraction of an overall graphic, adding pennies to its cost, not dollars. Operational costs for most applications tend to average less than 50 cents per square foot.
只有当金属油墨被用来覆盖整个图案背景时，成本才会受到损失，所以,通常情况下，它们只占整个图形的一小部分，大多数应用的运营成本平均低于每平方英尺50美分。
Meanwhile, the resulting graphics can command premium prices in the marketplace. They are often priced 30 to 40 per cent higher than CMYK-only prints.
由此产生的图形才可以在市场上获得高价，它们的价格通常比CMYK-only印刷品高出30-40％。
Learn to teach
开拓新业务
The advantages of specialty inks are highly evident. They help PSPs increase their value proposition for the customer, differentiate their business from their competitors and increase their profits per job.
特种油墨的优点非常明显，他们帮助PSP增加了价值，增加了每项业务的利润，使他们的业务在竞争对手中脱颖而出。
As these inks are still relatively new to wide-format digital printing, however, customers may not already have graphic design files that incorporate them. Instead, signmakers will need to introduce the concept, with samples on hand to show off the benefits. And they will need to be ready to add special colours and effects to their customers’ files for them.
由于这些油墨对宽幅数字打印仍然比较陌生，客户可能尚未拥有包含特殊油墨的图形设计。所以，标识制造商需要进一步涉及此概念，为他们的产品添加特殊的颜色和效果。
With this in mind, professional training is important. By participating in workshops and webinars, reading articles and documentation and watching video tutorials, signmakers can make the most of their investment and effectively sell their customers on new ideas. Training may come from the printer manufacturer, the ink supplier, support staff, dealers, other sign shops, user forums and/or industry conferences.
考虑到这一点，专业培训非常重要。通过参加研讨会和网络研讨会，阅读文章和文档，以及观看视频教程，标识制造商可以充分利用其投资并有效地向客户推销新技术。培训可能来自打印机制造商、墨水供应商、经销商，标识制造商、用户论坛或行业会议。
In the end, learning how best to exploit the initial investment in printing equipment and consumables will make all of the difference to the business. The shop and its customers will both benefit from high-impact results.
学习如何更好地投资和利用打印设备和消耗品，对业务的发展和影响非常重要，一切都受益于高质量的结果。 |
