Quick answer: buyers choosing additives for flexographic inks usually get a better first shortlist when they separate three different problems early: difficult-substrate wetting, print-side slip or anti-sticking control, and persistent foam or entrained air in the circulating ink system. In Longchang’s current CHLUMICRYL® branch, CHLUMIWE® 2100 is the cleaner first route when the flexo ink needs lower surface tension and more reliable wetting on difficult packaging substrates. CHLUMIAG® 3501 deserves earlier review when the real pressure is print-side surface control, especially where anti-sticking, release-oriented handling, or smoother surface behavior matters. CHLUMIAF® 3062 moves up when line stability is being limited by foam, air entrainment, or recirculation-side bubble defects.
This page is intentionally narrower than the broader CHLUMICRYL® Coating and Ink Additives overview and different from the already-live function pages for wetting additives, slip additives, and defoamers. The buyer question here is more application-specific: which additive route makes sense when the print process is flexography and the commercial pressure is substrate coverage, rewind handling, or process stability on a fast packaging line?
Why flexographic inks deserve a separate additive-selection page
General industry references on flexographic printing repeatedly frame the additive problem around substrate wetting, surface slip or rub behavior, and foam suppression rather than one generic ink-additive choice. That framing fits real flexo production logic. Buyers are often printing on films, labels, paper, or packaging webs that do not fail for one reason only. A flexo line can look acceptable in a cup or lab drawdown and still become commercially weak because the ink does not wet the substrate cleanly, the printed face handles poorly after printing, or the circulating system keeps building foam.
That is why a dedicated flexographic-ink page is justified inside the CHLUMICRYL® branch. The goal is not to restate a broad additive family overview. The goal is to help buyers decide which additive job belongs in the first sample round for a real flexo application.
What flexographic buyers are usually trying to fix
In practical flexographic-ink work, the first shortlist usually improves when the team separates these bottlenecks:
- Substrate wetting failure: the ink does not spread or anchor cleanly on film, foil, or another difficult surface.
- Print-side handling failure: the printed face still feels sticky, drags too much, or handles poorly during rewinding, stacking, lamination, or overprint steps.
- Process-side foam failure: the circulating or high-shear ink system keeps introducing bubbles, microfoam, or unstable transfer behavior.
Those are different buying problems. They should not all be forced into the same additive trial.
Quick shortlist: when CHLUMIWE® 2100, CHLUMIAG® 3501, or CHLUMIAF® 3062 usually makes sense
| Product | Best first fit in flexographic inks | Why buyers shortlist it | Main watchpoint |
|---|---|---|---|
| CHLUMIWE® 2100 | Difficult-substrate wetting where lower surface tension and cleaner spread matter first | Longchang directly supports very low surface tension, suitability for difficult-to-wet substrates, broad UV/solvent/water-based applicability, and no stable foam under high-speed dispersion at low dosage. | Use it when wetting is the first bottleneck, not as a substitute for a print-face slip route or a dedicated defoamer. |
| CHLUMIAG® 3501 | Print-side surface control where anti-sticking, release-oriented handling, and broader printing-ink compatibility matter | Longchang directly positions it for printing inks, inkjet inks, screen printing inks, overprint varnishes, release coatings, and anti-sticking-agent use, with UV, solvent, and water-based system applicability. | Choose it when the buyer is solving print-face handling and surface behavior, not when the first problem is only wetting or only foam. |
| CHLUMIAF® 3062 | Flexo-ink defoaming when foam or air release is narrowing line stability | Longchang directly supports it as a printing-ink defoamer with 0.1% to 0.5% dosage for printing inks, broad UV/solvent/water-based applicability, and balanced instant defoaming plus long-lasting foam inhibition. | It is the stronger route when foam is the real defect, not when the first problem is substrate coverage or print-face release. |
When CHLUMIWE® 2100 is the better fit
CHLUMIWE® 2100 deserves the first look when the flexographic program is being limited by substrate wetting instead of by print-face handling or foam alone. Longchang supports it as an organic-silicone wetting and anti-sticking route with very low surface tension. The current company page also says it is suitable for difficult-to-wet substrates, gives a 0.1% to 1.0% recommended-dosage window, and states that with a small amount added it will not produce stable foam under high-speed dispersion.
That makes 2100 the cleaner first route when:
- the flexo ink is pulling back or failing to spread evenly on film or other difficult packaging surfaces,
- the buyer wants a wetting-first route before moving into broader surface tuning,
- the application still needs flexibility across UV, solvent, and water-based system windows, or
- the team wants a route that lowers surface tension without introducing a stable-foam problem too early in screening.
In short, 2100 belongs early when the question is whether the ink can wet and cover the target substrate properly in the first place.
When CHLUMIAG® 3501 is the better fit
CHLUMIAG® 3501 should move up when the substrate is already wetting reasonably well, but the printed face still needs better surface control. Longchang positions 3501 as an acrylic-modified silicone oil and directly lists it for printing inks, inkjet inks, screen printing inks, overprint varnishes, release coatings, and anti-sticking agents. The current page also shows applicability across UV, solvent, and water-based systems.
That makes 3501 commercially useful in flexographic work because many flexo buyers are not solving only spread and transfer. They are also watching how the printed face behaves after printing, especially where anti-sticking, release-oriented surface behavior, or broader print-finish compatibility matters. 3501 is the stronger route when the job needs one additive that sits closer to print-side handling and downstream surface behavior than to a pure wetting correction.
This is also what keeps the page from overlapping too directly with the already-live gravure and screen pages. Those pages lean more heavily on CHLUMILE® 3432 as the print-face route. This flexographic page uses 3501 because its company-supported application window is broader around printing inks, overprint varnishes, release coatings, and anti-sticking use.
When CHLUMIAF® 3062 is the better fit
CHLUMIAF® 3062 becomes more important when the line is being slowed by foam, microfoam, or air entrainment. Longchang directly positions it as an organic silicone defoamer, printing ink defoamer. The current product page gives a recommended dosage of 0.1% to 0.5% for printing inks and supports applicability across UV, solvent, and water-based systems. Longchang’s own product framing also supports high compatibility, excellent instant defoaming, long-lasting foam inhibition, and no adverse effect on intercoat adhesion or recoating.
That makes 3062 the cleaner first route when:
- the flexo line is already showing bubbles or unstable transfer behavior,
- the circulating ink system is creating recurring foam pressure instead of a one-time surface defect,
- the buyer needs one defoaming route that stays relevant across more than one ink-system window, or
- the process bottleneck is clearly air release rather than wetting or print-face slip.
3062 is not the answer to every flexographic-ink problem, but it is the faster route when the real commercial risk is line stability, not only appearance.
How buyers should shortlist additives for flexographic inks
1. Start with the real bottleneck
If the ink does not wet the substrate cleanly, start with 2100. If the substrate is already wetting but the printed face still handles poorly, move earlier to 3501. If the line is losing stability to foam, 3062 deserves the first screen.
2. Separate print-face control from process defoaming
Flexographic inks can need both, but buyers lose time when they test a defoamer to solve a surface-handling problem or a slip-oriented additive to solve recirculation-side bubbles.
3. Keep the substrate in view
On a real flexo line, substrate wetting can still decide whether the print run is commercially acceptable before the lab ever reaches a broader finish discussion. That is why 2100 belongs early when coverage is unstable.
4. Keep downstream handling visible
Many flexographic jobs are not finished when the ink simply lands on the substrate. Rewinding, stacking, lamination, overprint varnish, or later surface contact can all expose a weak print-side additive choice. That is where 3501 becomes commercially meaningful.
5. Keep the first trial round tight
One wetting route, one print-side surface-control route, and one defoaming route usually produce a cleaner answer than testing too many partially overlapping additives at once.
Recommended Longchang product and article paths
- Wetting-first route: CHLUMIWE® 2100
- Print-side surface-control route: CHLUMIAG® 3501
- Foam-control route: CHLUMIAF® 3062
- Broader overview: CHLUMICRYL® Coating and Ink Additives
- Related function page: How to Choose Wetting Additives for Coatings and Inks
- Related function page: How to Choose Slip Additives for Coatings and Inks
- Related function page: How to Choose Defoamers for Coatings and Inks
- Related application page: How to Choose Additives for Gravure Inks
- Related application page: How to Choose Additives for Screen Inks
FAQ
Which additive should I test first in flexographic inks?
Test the additive that matches the real bottleneck first. For difficult substrate wetting, start with CHLUMIWE® 2100. For print-side anti-sticking or release-oriented handling, start with CHLUMIAG® 3501. For foam-control trouble, start with CHLUMIAF® 3062.
Why is flexographic-ink additive selection different from a general ink-additive page?
Because flexographic buyers usually have to keep substrate wetting, print-face handling, and circulation-side stability in balance on a fast line. That creates a more specific shortlist logic than a broad generic ink page.
When should I move from a wetting route to a surface-control route?
Move from 2100 to 3501 when the substrate is already wetting reasonably well and the real issue becomes anti-sticking, release-oriented handling, or broader print-face behavior after printing.
Can 3062 still matter if the ink also needs later coating or recoating compatibility?
Yes. Longchang’s product framing for 3062 explicitly notes no adverse effect on intercoat adhesion and recoating, which is one reason it remains commercially useful in broader printing and coating workflows.
Is this page replacing the broader wetting, slip, or defoamer pages?
No. Those pages stay useful as function pages. This article is narrower and built for the application-specific buyer question of how to choose the first additive route for flexographic inks.
Need a tighter flexographic-ink shortlist?
If your flexographic-ink project is being limited by poor substrate wetting, weak print-side handling, or persistent foam in the circulating system, define that bottleneck first and then compare only the most relevant CHLUMICRYL® routes. That usually gives a faster and cleaner buying decision than treating all ink additives as interchangeable.