Gravure printing is a generic term for printing processes in which lines, dots or flat recess cells on a bare metal surface are filled with ink, which is absorbed by a substrate in contact with the surface. The surplus ink is removed prior to the contact with the material for printing, such that only the recess cells transfer the ink.

This requires special binders, which must wet the colorant, envelop it and transfer it via the inking system and the printing plate to the substrate. They must also fix the pigments on the substrate and ensure that the print is durable.

The low-molecular VINNOL^®surface coating resins used in this printing method provide toughness, permanently flexibility and extrem resistance to abrasion, water and chemicals. They also feature excellent pigment wetting, good solubility and are flame-resistant and easy to process.

Hydrophilic HDK^® grades are used in concentrations of 0.5 – 2% to regulate viscosity and prevent pigment settling in gravure printing.