Eco-solvent inks are capable of producing vibrant colours, while maintaining a waterproof and scratch proof finish. Their versatility makes them an ideal solution for printing onto trade show graphics, vinyl, banners and outdoor signs.

Eco-solvent ink have colours which are suspended in a mild biodegradable solvent, which means that the ink has virtually no odour as they don’t contain as many volatile organic compounds. They’ve been around since the early 2000s and originally were designed for general signage work. They were developed in response to an industry demand for more operator and customer-friendly inks than the original “strong” or “aggressive” solvent inks.

Strong solvents have a high content of VOCs (volatile organic compounds) which often require forced ventilation and extraction to protect the printer operators, and many of them retain a distinctive lingering smell which makes them unsuited to indoor use where it’s noticeable.

They are widely used in entry level through to mid-priced wide format inkjets, though the upper, “industrial” end of the market still has a tendency to use strong solvents for the same sort of applications.