As the printing ink and coatings business continues to get hammered with increasing raw material costs and material sourcing challenges, the North American division of the Flint Group has announced price increases on certain printing inks and pressroom chemistry being sold in Canada and the U.S., a move the company projected back in October.
“We’re facing challenges on a multitude of fronts: capacity constraints, government policies around the world, environmental concerns, decreased production of feedstocks, and more,” notes Diane Parisi, vice president supply chain with Flint Group in a company release.
The new increases range from eight percent for conventional sheetfed inks to 12 percent for heatset blends, fluorescents and metallics. Also being affected are pressroom chemicals, including press washes, fountain solutions and spray powders.
Providing specific factors driving up prices, Michael Impastato, vice president strategic marketing with Flint Group Packaging & Narrow Web, explains: “Within the last few months alone, nitrocellulose, titanium dioxide and violet pigment have experienced double digit cost increases.”
The price increases (noted below by category) will take effect February 1, 2011 and are subject to existing contracts.
Liquid Packaging & Narrow Web Inks:
All Whites ………… up to 10%, depending on technology
Solvent Colors …….up to 8%
(Specific increases for the above products, as well as for nitrocellulose-based clears, other solvent-based clear formulations, and all violet colors will be communicated individually to customers depending on formula make-up and technology.)
Print Media Inks:
Sheetfed Conventional 8%
Heatset
Process ………. 10%
Blends, Metallics, Fluorescents and OPVs ……. 12%
Directory ……………9%
Publication Gravure …… 9%
Print Media Chemicals:
Spray Powders …….. 8 – 15%
Press Washes ……….. 8 – 12%
Web Conditioners …. 6 – 10%
Fountain Solutions … 5 – 8%
Aerosols ………………. 8 – 15%
