Strange mirror ink

With MIR-8000 mirror inks, you can create mirror-like gloss and mirror-like prints with a sense of quality.
The prints of general metallic inks are not glossy and mirror-like at the same time, but MIR-8000 mirror inks have a unique metallic luster that sparkles.
Mirror ink is also the same as metal ink. It uses aluminum reflection ink. Why is the printing result so different?
This time, we will explain the strange gloss and characteristics of mirror inks.
1. The difference between the printing results of mirror ink and metallic ink.
Mirror inks and metallic prints have the following differences:

2. The shape of aluminum powder Both the mirror ink and the metallic ink use aluminum powder as the raw material. The aluminum powder is oval shaped and thin and flat.
Mirror inks and metallic inks are reflective properties of the light using this aluminum powder.
3. Thickness of aluminum powder used for mirror inks A major feature of aluminum powders used in mirror inks is that, compared with the aluminum powders used in metallic inks, their thickness is quite thin.
The aluminum powder used for the mirror ink is approximately one-tenth to one-fiftieth the thickness of an ordinary metallic ink.
As a result, specular features (of course, not just thickness issues) can be obtained.
4. Why use a thin aluminum powder can have a mirror effect?
Due to its thinness and smoothness, the mirror ink aluminum powder can be arranged more in parallel for the substrate. In addition, the surface of the aluminum powder is relatively flat, and the incident light can be reflected approximately in a state of total reflection, and the light can be regularly reflected to obtain a mirror-like effect.
On the other hand, the aluminum ink of the metallic ink has a thickness, so that the alignment is less likely to be arranged in a disorderly arrangement like the mirror ink and the light is reflected irregularly. In addition, the surface of aluminum powder is not as flat as the mirror ink, so that the incident light cannot be totally reflected.
As a result, there is a glittering print effect based on the angle change seen.
5. Substrate inks that can be used with mirror inks Mirror inks can be used for printing on PCs, processed PET, untreated PET, acrylates, etc.
In general, the general ink is determined depending on whether or not it can be bonded. However, if the mirror ink is based on whether or not the adhesive can not achieve the original purpose, how to improve the mirror surface is important.
6. Effect of the solvent resistance of the substrate on the mirror surface The substrate has the property of being susceptible to solvent erosion like PC. However, if the acrylate material and PET have strong solvent resistance, they can be completely free from the influence of the solvent.
Mirror ink is solvent-based evaporation-drying ink, so the ink contains solvents. If the printing material is susceptible to solvent attack, after the printing, the smooth and transparent high-transmittance state is changed to white and the light is difficult to pass through.
When the PC sheet is eroded by the solvent, it becomes cloudy and opaque. If this special mirror ink is used on a substrate that has been subjected to solvent attack, a mirror effect cannot be obtained. Therefore, it should be noted that the solvent used has no adverse effect on the PC material, so use the solvent specified by the manufacturer.