Solenis, Wilmington, Del., USA, a leading global producer of specialty chemicals, has introduced a new line of imPress™ ID paper additives designed exclusively for HP Indigo digital presses. The new impress ID chemistries are up to eight times more efficient at generating Indigo print adhesion. With these new additives, paper mills can efficiently and cost-effectively produce papers with a three-star rating for HP Indigo digital presses.

"As digital printing continues to take market share from offset presses, the demand for papers optimized for digital printing systems will increase," said Tom Hayden, global marketing director, printing and writing. "Our impress ID additives are very easy to run, so papermakers can diversify by quickly adding Indigo-approved grades to their portfolios. Mills that already produce Indigo grades can enjoy a number of additional benefits."

A main benefit is improved runnability. With impress ID paper additives, no changes are required to the size press or machine settings. The chemistry is non-charged, so it doesn’t form deposits, agglomerate, or cause stickies-related issues. In addition, the new imPress ID products are exceptionally versatile and work well with optical brightening agents and other size press chemistries.

"Our researchers spent a great deal of time refining this product," said Dan Varnell, Solenis research fellow. "The result is an innovative chemistry that dramatically increases the performance of the paper printed on Indigo presses."

In the past, polyethyleneimine (PEI) or poly(ethylene/acrylic acid) was used to promote Indigo image adhesion, but PEI resulted in yellowing issues and P(Et/AA) dispersions required special conditions. The Solenis impress ID technology relies on thermodynamic attraction of the print ink to the paper treatment. Free energy drops as the ink and the treated paper interact with each other, resulting in more efficient adhesion.

Currently, imPress ID-115 and ID-120 are available in North America, and impress ID-215 and ID-220 are available in Europe.

More information about Solenis imPress ID paper additives and technology is available online.