Date：2025-10-11 10:43:56 from：StarColor Ink
Under the dual pressures of tropical climates and strict environmental regulations, food and beverage label printing in Southeast Asia faces three major challenges:
Ink layer peeling under high temperature and humidity
Compliance pressure from VOC emissions
The need to balance quality and cost-effectiveness
A well-known Thai printing company, serving leading local beverage brands with PET bottle labels, had long struggled with environmental complaints and print defects caused by traditional solvent-based inks.
In 2023, after introducing StarColor water-based flexographic inks from Zhongzhixing Color Technology Co., Ltd., the company achieved VOC compliance, improved print quality under hot and humid conditions, and became a benchmark for sustainable label printing in the region.
The printer manages over 500,000 PET bottle labels per day, which must withstand ambient temperatures of 30–35°C and a hot-fill process at 85°C, while meeting the national VOC emission standard ≤100 mg/m³.
Before switching to StarColor inks, they faced several severe problems:
Traditional solvent-based inks contained up to 350 g/L VOCs.
Even with basic activated carbon filters, exhaust concentration still reached 180 mg/m³, exceeding the government limit.
In 2022, the plant was forced to halt production for 15 days due to non-compliance, losing over USD 80,000 in orders.
In addition, the strong odor caused an employee turnover rate of 20%.
Southeast Asia’s high humidity (75–85%) caused color fading and weak adhesion:
After 85°C hot filling, ink layers blistered and discolored (15% customer complaints).
Adhesion dropped to 2B under 3M tape tests, and labels often peeled during transport, resulting in 12% scrap rate.
To address these issues, Zhongzhixing’s technical team worked with a local distributor to deliver a customized “Ink + Process + Training” solution, focusing on compliance, durability, and cost-efficiency.
StarColor developed a high-temperature, high-humidity resistant flexographic water-based ink, optimized for PET labels:
Resin System:
Acrylic–polyurethane hybrid resin provides enhanced flexibility and heat resistance.
After 85°C hot fill, the ink film remained intact—no softening or blistering. Even after 100 bend cycles at −5°C, no cracking occurred.
Anti-Humidity Additives:
Added nano-silane coupling agents and micronized PE wax to improve adhesion and moisture resistance.
After 30 days at 85% humidity, no mold or delamination appeared.
Environmental Safety:
VOC content dropped to 45 g/L, far below regional limits.
The formula contains no benzene or ketone solvents, eliminating odor and ensuring compliance with occupational health standards.
Substrate Treatment:
PET film corona treated to 40 dyn/cm to enhance wettability and adhesion.
Anilox & Doctor Blade:
1000 LPI anilox roll, 12–15 μm ink thickness, 70 Shore A blade hardness; reduced printing pressure to 1.8 bar for stable dots.
Drying System:
Two-stage drying:
45°C for 1.5 s (surface drying in humid air)
65°C for 2 s (final curing)
This avoids PET shrinkage common in high-heat drying.
After switching fully to StarColor water-based flexo ink in June 2023, the printer reported major improvements after six months:
VOC concentration reduced from 180 mg/m³ to 55 mg/m³—well below the 100 mg/m³ limit.
Passed the 2023 environmental inspection with zero complaints.
PM2.5 levels dropped from 80 μg/m³ to 35 μg/m³; employee turnover decreased from 20% to 5%.
No blistering or fading after 85°C hot fill; adhesion maintained 5B after 30 days at 85% humidity.
Color ΔE ≤ 0.6 with accurate logo reproduction; customer complaint rate dropped from 15% to 0.3%.
Although ink unit cost was 15% higher, ink utilization rose from 85% to 95%, reducing monthly ink use from 10 tons to 8 tons.
Activated carbon replacement cycle extended from 15 to 90 days, lowering environmental costs from USD 3,000 to USD 1,000 per month.
Scrap rate decreased from 12% to 3%, saving 500,000 labels per month (≈USD 10,000).
Total annual production cost reduced from USD 200,000 to USD 140,000, a 30% savings with ROI achieved in 4 months.
The success of StarColor water-based flexographic ink in Thailand’s food label printing industry demonstrates Zhongzhixing’s localized solution approach—adapting ink formulations to tropical climates, ensuring VOC compliance, and maintaining cost efficiency.
For Southeast Asian printers, choosing StarColor water-based inks is not only a compliance-driven decision, but also a strategic upgrade toward sustainable, high-quality printing.
As environmental regulations tighten and brand owners demand cleaner packaging, StarColor inks are expected to become the mainstream solution for food and beverage label printing in the region.