Industry Guide

UV in Printing & Coating

Instant curing for inks, coatings, and adhesives — LED or mercury, we help you choose

In 30 Seconds

  • UV curing replaces thermal drying — seconds instead of minutes, no solvents
  • LED wavelengths: 365nm, 385nm, 405nm — choose based on ink/coating formulation
  • Mercury broadband lamps still needed for some multi-layer or pigmented systems
  • Instant on/off enables integration into high-speed production lines
  • Energy savings of 50-80% vs. thermal drying or conventional mercury systems

How the cure happens

Photoinitiator (~2%) Monomer (liquid) Linked network (solid)
Photoinitiators make up only a few percent of the formulation (typically ~1–5 wt%), yet each one that absorbs a UV photon splits into radicals that start a chain reaction — linking the surrounding monomers into a solid network in a fraction of a second. That is why UV curing is near-instant and needs no heat or solvent evaporation.

Applications

Offset & Flexo Printing

385-395nm (LED)

UV inks cure instantly on the press, enabling immediate finishing (cutting, folding, stacking) without drying time. LED UV at 385-395nm is the new standard for sheetfed offset.

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Industrial Coatings

365-405nm (LED) or broadband (Hg)

UV-cured clear coats, primers, and topcoats for wood, metal, plastic, and glass. Scratch-resistant, high-gloss finishes in seconds. Common in furniture, automotive trim, and electronics housings.

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Adhesive Bonding

365nm (LED) or 254nm (low-iron glass)

UV-curable adhesives bond glass-to-glass, glass-to-metal, and plastic assemblies in seconds. Used in electronics (display bonding), medical devices, and optical components — typically acrylate or cationic-epoxy chemistries chosen by end-properties.

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Protective & Functional Films

365-395nm (LED)

Anti-fingerprint coatings, hard coats for displays, anti-fog films, and hydrophobic surfaces — all UV-cured. Thin-film applications require precise dose control to avoid under- or over-cure.

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Match the lamp to your ink/coating

254280313365385405Wavelength (nm)
Lamp
Photoinitiator
Lamp emission Initiator absorption Usable overlap A cure only happens in the overlap — match the initiator's absorption band to your lamp's peak. A long-UV (~380 nm) initiator pairs well with a 385/395 nm LED; the same LED barely reaches a 290 nm benzophenone-type initiator.

Wavelength Selection Guide

WavelengthBest ForLED Available?Notes
365nmStandard curing, deep cure, thick layersExcellentMost photoinitiators optimized for this range
385nmSurface cure, low-migration inksExcellentGood for food packaging (low extractables)
395nmOffset/flexo printingExcellentIndustry standard for LED-UV printing
405nmPigmented/thick layers, depth cureBest efficiencyBest penetration through colored materials
BroadbandComplex formulations, multi-initiatorNot availableMercury H/D/V bulbs — plan for Minamata transition

Not sure which wavelength? Try our LED or Mercury decision guide

Simulate your UV curing process

Select your substrate from 33 industrial materials, choose a lamp, and calculate exact curing time and dose

Engineering deep-dives

Selecting UV-Curable Adhesives & Coatings End-properties-first selection: adhesion, chemical/thermal resistance, shrinkage — and matching the UV source to the job. Read the reference Chemistry Families: Acrylate, Epoxy & Silicone Free-radical vs cationic cure, shrinkage, oxygen sensitivity, dark-cure — the property profile of each family. Read the reference Photoinitiators: Type I / II & Low-Migration Wavelength matching, surface-vs-through cure, yellowing, and food-contact migration limits. Read the reference

Switching from thermal to UV?

We help you evaluate the transition — energy savings, substrate compatibility, and ROI calculations.