Ink Type
Water-Based Inks
We have created thousands of water‑based inks for printing on an array of substrates. Water‑based inks emit low VOCs and are among the most eco-friendly inks available to the industrial printing industry.
Ink Details
Our catalog of water-based ink solutions for digital and flexo systems deliver high performance, eco-friendliness, and sustainability.
Water-Based Piezo Inks
Kao offers a wide variety of high-speed, water‑based inkjet inks for Piezo DOD printheads. Dye‑based and pigment‑based CMYK ink sets are available for porous and lightly-coated materials. Our chemists also create specially-formulated inks.
Common Applications |
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| Printing documents | Printing on non-glossy paper and corrugated cardboard |
| Printing on wood and lumber | Printing on coated substrates |
Available for These Piezo Printheads
Dimatix | Konica Minolta | Kyocera | Ricoh | X-BAR
Water-Based Thermal Inkjet Inks
Our water-based thermal inkjet inks include hundreds of variations of dye‑based, pigment‑based, and dye/pigment hybrid formulations. These aqueous‑based inks are well-suited for a wide variety of printing applications.
Common Applications |
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| Mailing | Packaging |
| Security | Ticketing |
| Labeling | Other special industries |
Available for These TIJ Printheads
Water-Based Continuous Inkjet Inks
Throughout the years, Kao has manufactured many standard and custom inks for Kodak and other continuous inkjet (CIJ) printing systems that provide high image quality, durability, and reliability for printers in various industries.
Common Applications |
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| Transactional Documents | Lottery and Gaming |
| Direct Mail | Packaging |
Available for These CIJ Printheads
LUNAJET
Eco-friendly Inkjet Ink for Flexible Film
LUNAJET is a water-based, pigmented inkjet ink that uses a proprietary technique known as nanodispersion. It is especially suited for printing on flexible film substrates. Besides being safe for food packaging, eco-friendly LUNAJET produces extremely low amounts of VOCs, which significantly lowers its impact on workspaces and the global environment.
No UV curing. No odors. No damage to the substrate.
Common Applications |
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| Beverage squeeze bottles | Thin films |
| Resealable flexible food packaging | Glossy paper |
Benefits
Eco-Friendly
Water-based inks are entirely free of PVC resin or plasticisers and are also entirely free of harmful ozone-depleting chemicals and aromatic hydrocarbons.
Safer for Health (Non-Toxic)
Free from harmful chemicals, water-based inks are safe not just for the environment but for employees. There are no harsh chemicals or solvents that the user can inhale.
Higher Quality Prints
Because they sit deeper within porous substrates, water-based inks can produce longer-lasting prints with impeccable detail, with much more defined, sharper edges. This includes half-tones and more, making them the perfect choice for printing intricate, detailed designs.
Water-Based Flexo Inks
The many flexo water-based high-performance inks handle high-speed printing of substrates ranging from corrugated cardboard to biodegradable films, which takes our IDROSTAR* OK COMPOST ink.
Common Applications |
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| Corrugated boxes | Flexible packaging |
| High-gloss paper labels | Low weight paper |
| Food packaging paper | Films |
*The IDROSTAR OK COMPOST flexo ink has been certified by TÜV® Austria.
Sustainability
Kao focuses on the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) that have been agreed upon and adopted by the international community. To realize a more sustainable society, our SDGs set forth an integrated approach for improving the environment, society, and economy.
At Kao, we assure our customers and stakeholders with a powerful and straightforward commitment: Our water-based ink solutions can deliver the same performance as solvent-based products at comparable costs along with VOC reduction, increased health and safety at the workplace, and a reduced carbon footprint.