Choose gravure ink additives by the first repeatable failure: substrate wetting, printed-film leveling, or foam. CHLUMIWE® 2100 is the broad wetting route, CHLUMILE® 3432 is the leveling/surface-control route, and CHLUMIAF® 3062 is the printing-ink defoamer route. They should not be treated as interchangeable silicone additions.
First stabilize viscosity at press temperature, solvent or water balance, cylinder and cell condition, doctor blade, impression, drying, line speed, and substrate treatment. An additive cannot reliably correct worn engraving, poor blade setup, unstable solvent loss, insufficient drying, or an untreated film.
Gravure ink additive decision map
| First repeatable failure | First route | Press guardrail |
|---|---|---|
| Ink retracts, leaves voids, or wets treated film unevenly | CHLUMIWE® 2100 | Foam, print density, adhesion, blocking, and lamination |
| Transfer occurs but the print shows orange peel, uneven flow, or gloss variation | CHLUMILE® 3432 | Dot/edge definition, trapping, recoatability, and slip |
| Circulation or agitation creates persistent foam or microbubbles | CHLUMIAF® 3062 | Craters, density, compatibility, and storage stability |
| Produk | Published system fit | Supplier starting guidance | Best first-screen role |
|---|---|---|---|
| CHLUMIWE® 2100 | UV, pelarut, dan berbasis air | 0.1–1%; grind, stir, or post-add | Broad substrate wetting and anti-sticking screening |
| CHLUMILE® 3432 | UV, pelarut, dan berbasis air | 0.05–1%; any production stage | Printed-film leveling and surface appearance |
| CHLUMIAF® 3062 | UV, pelarut, dan berbasis air | 0.1–0.5% for printing inks | Foam and microbubble control after the source of air is understood |
Use 2100 when wetting fails first
2100 is the logical starting comparison when a controlled ink retracts from the substrate or leaves wetting voids despite verified surface treatment and clean film. Its product page lists surface tension below 25 mN/m and compatibility with water, solvent, and UV systems.
Run a blank plus a small dosage ladder rather than starting at the top of the range. Measure wetting, print density, pinholes, foam, edge definition, blocking, adhesion, lamination bond, and any change in coefficient of friction. Keep the material away from high temperature and follow the supplier’s tool-contamination precaution.
Use 3432 when the transferred film does not level
3432 moves first when the ink transfers but the dried print retains poor flow, orange peel, craters, or gloss nonuniformity. Its broad system fit makes it suitable for a controlled solvent, water-based, or UV comparison.
Do not confuse leveling with cell emptying or viscosity control. Confirm cylinder condition, doctoring, ink temperature, evaporation, and dry rate. Then measure appearance together with highlight-dot integrity, edge sharpness, trapping, overprint adhesion, blocking, and downstream coating or lamination.
Use 3062 when air is the repeatable bottleneck
3062 is a 100% active, nonionic polyether-modified polysiloxane. The supplier publishes a 0.1–0.5% starting range for printing inks and lists UV, solvent, and water-based applicability.
Separate foam generation from foam release. Record foam during manufacture and circulation, decay after a defined agitation cycle, microbubbles in the wet film, pinholes, craters, print density, and stability after storage. If dilution is used, the supplier requires stability and defoaming performance to be checked first.
Build a press-relevant gravure trial
- Lock the ink. Hold resin, pigment dispersion, solids, pH where applicable, viscosity method, and temperature constant.
- Lock the press. Use the same cylinder, cell volume, doctor blade, impression, speed, drying profile, and ink recirculation.
- Lock the substrate. Record film type, treatment level, age, contamination control, and print side.
- Change one route at a time. Compare a blank with two or three levels inside current supplier guidance.
- Test converting. Include overprinting, lamination, slitting, rewinding, heat sealing, and packaging contact that apply to the job.
Measure print performance, not only drawdowns
Record viscosity drift, foam, density, color difference, missing dots, pinholes, edge definition, gloss, dry rate, blocking, rub/scuff, adhesion, slip, lamination bond, odor, and retained solvent or water where relevant. Repeat the preferred condition at the real line speed and after ink recirculation.
ASTM D5264 provides a laboratory comparison of abrasion resistance for printed materials, ASTM D1894 covers static and kinetic friction of plastic film and sheeting, and ASTM D3359 describes tape adhesion ratings on suitable surfaces. Agree substrate, conditioning, test load, repetitions, and acceptance criteria rather than treating a standard number as a universal specification.
Protect packaging and regulatory requirements
For packaging inks, screen the complete intended-use scenario: print side, barrier, set-off, cure/dry conditions, lamination, food-contact possibility, customer exclusions, and regional rules. The EuPIA raw-material selection framework makes clear that raw-material selection is only one element of manufacturing a suitable food-packaging ink.
Do not call an additive food-safe or low-migration from its product category alone. Obtain current regulatory statements and validate the finished printed construction.
Common gravure troubleshooting patterns
Wetting improves but lamination bond falls
Reduce the wetting route and repeat surface energy, cure/dry, retained solvent, and lamination checks. The press appearance cannot override converting failure.
Foam falls but craters increase
Reduce 3062 and review dispersion, compatibility, contamination, and addition sequence. A defoamer pass requires both air control and an acceptable printed surface.
The drawdown passes but the press still has voids
Audit cylinder filling/emptying, blade condition, recirculation air, viscosity drift, drying, speed, and substrate treatment. The laboratory method may not reproduce the failing press stage.
Related printing-ink guides
Use the flexographic ink guide for an anilox/flexo process, the screen ink guide for mesh-transfer and edge-definition issues, or the metal-packaging ink guide when rigid metal cure and converting requirements control the choice.
Request a gravure ink additive comparison
Send the resin and carrier, pigment, ink solids and viscosity, substrate and treatment, cylinder/cell data, speed, drying profile, defect photos, current additives, overprint or laminate structure, and required rub/block/COF tests. Ask Longchang Chemical for a 2100, 3432, or 3062 gravure screening plan.