Linx Printing Technologies is introducing a ketone-free ink to meet increasing demands for an ink that does not contain MEK and acetone, suitable for a variety of coding applications across industries such as food and drink, cosmetics, confectionery and tobacco.

The new Linx Black Ink 3401 offers a fast drying time of one to three seconds on both porous and non-porous materials, as well as superior light fastness and excellent adhesion and contrast on a wide range of materials including paper, card, plastic and flow-wrap.

The ink has good general chemical resistance across many substances, which makes it resilient to chemical splash from alkalis, acids, water, alcohol, petrol and cutting fluid, and is capable of heat resistance of up to 30 minutes at 300?C with no adhesion or colour change.

Linx Black Ink 3401 joins the company's existing range of MEK-free ethanol-based inks. It can be used with Linx's market-leading 4900 and 7900 CIJ printers to provide a range of coding solutions for all types of production and packing line requirements, delivering consistently reliable and high quality codes.

"Our new ink is the result of listening to our customers and developing a product in line with changing market requirements," comments Susan Palmer, Product Manager of Linx Printing Technologies.

"We know that many companies are now seeking a reliable and effective alternatives to ketone-based inks for certain types of applications, and Linx Black Ink 3401 exactly meets this need, while maintaining the high quality performance that customers have come to expect from our inks ranges."

Linx Printing Technologies is a leading global supplier of continuous ink jet (CIJ) printers, case coders, laser coders, thermal transfer printers and thermal inkjet printers. Its printers and coders are used across many different industries where product identification codes, batch numbers, dates and barcodes are required. All Linx products are designed with low cost of ownership in mind and are distinguished by reliability, robustness and ease of use. Linx products code and mark millions of items every day, ranging from bottles, packages and cans of consumer goods to pharmaceutical products, cabling, electrical components and car parts.