Printcolor’s reflective inks are special ink systems that have a high degree of reflection and possess a retrore-flective effect when exposed to light. Retroreflection occurs when light rays are reflected in the same direction from which they are incident. Our reflective inks contain highly effective reflective particles, which reflect the light back to the irradiating light source. Maximum efficiency of the reflective particles is achieved on dark substrates.
Applications
Reflective inks increase the visibility of the printed product in headlights, for example, in darkness or twilight. The product range is suitable for a wide range of applications and materials such as textiles, plastics, metals, soft- touch surfaces, foils, cardboard or paper. The reflective inks are preferably used in the advertising and automotive sectors, whereby special legislation applies to public road traffic applications.
Please note that post-varnishing reduces the reflection values and is therefore not advisable. Also, such ink systems cannot achieve the high reflection values of special retroreflective films.
Product range
The product range consists of eight articles:
| Article | Description/color |
| Series 242-05/REFLEX | Reflective Varnish |
| Series 242-100/REFLEX | Silver, reflective |
| Series 388-05/REFLEX | Reflective Varnish |
| Series 388-100/REFLEX | Silver, reflective |
| Series 640-05/REFLEX | Reflective Varnish |
| Series 640-100/REFLEX | Silver, reflective |
| Series 660-05/REFLEX | Reflective Varnish |
| Series 660-100/REFLEX | Silver, reflective |
These articles are highly suitable for a broad range of materials. The reflective inks of Series 242, for example, can be used to print on plastics as well as paper or cardboard. Silver and varnish of Series 388 can be used for materials like PVC, foils or coatings and Series 640 for metals and plastics. The reflective inks of Series 660 are particularly suited for printing on synthetic fabrics or soft-touch surfaces.
Applied with an approx. 43-thread fabric, the ink layers of Series 388, 640 as well as 660 are outdoor-resistant. To increase the chemical and mechanical resistance, the hardeners Series 600-HDA or Series 600-HDS can be added.
Further information on the respective series can be found in the corresponding Fact Sheet.
Almost unlimited design possibilities
Due to the transparency of the reflective varnishes, there are almost no restrictions in the design of the product layout. In addition, both the reflective varnishes as well as the reflective inks in silver can be tinted with our highly transparent MS basic colors (see color chart with the article number PM-2014). This results in optically colored ink layers, which reflect colourful dark silvery or silvery depending on the angle of illumination.