As a wise saying goes, «The penny-wise pays twice, the foolish pays thrice, the stone stupid pays through his entire lifetime!»
There is an enormous range of materials and techniques on offer for interior design. How safe are they for your health?
Image print on a variety of surfaces and materials is very widely used in interior design.
Let’s look at the two most common print methods:
♦ using solvent-based inks
♦ using UV-curable inks
Solvent-based inks have a wealth of advantages:
∗ they are cheap
∗ they are bright
∗ they do not fade in the sun
∗ they are insecticidal
∗ they are used in an easy printing process
There is a large drawback, though: solvents are toxic and dangerous to health. Manufacturers struggle to reduce the hazardous impact by decreasing the content of solvent in ink (as in bio- and eco-solvent paints). Regrettably, that is half-measures.
Conversely, UV-curable inks:
∗ are totally harmless for both people and animals
∗ can be applied to any surface
∗ their color stays bright for very long
Their main disadvantage is the price: UV inks cost much more than solvent inks while printing equipment using UV inks is significantly more complex and is less often chosen by manufacturers.
Building on our research and analysis, we recommend:
|
Ink type |
Application |
Objects |
Cost |
|
Solvent-based |
Exterior works |
Outdoor advertising, building fronts |
Low |
|
Bio- and eco-solvent |
Well-ventilated areas, no permanent presence of people or animals |
Swimming pools, gyms, conference halls, lobbies, corridors |
1,5 – 2,0 times more expensive than solvent inks |
|
UV-curable |
Interiors, no limitations |
Apartments, offices, bedrooms, children’s rooms |
3 – 5 times more expensive than solvent inks |
The key question is: how do we tell solvent print from UV print?
Prints made with solvent-based inks have a varnish effect and shine in light.
UV inks produce matted shades.
All products by Adastra – DECOMATтм are made exclusively with UV technologies.
We value our customers’ health greatly.
Take care!