Innovative print processes are the most effective way of upgrading print products and product packages. Thanks to their applicational properties, UV lacquers are ideal for brochures and products that have to meet special requirements and visibly stand out from the crowd. With the UV-curing coatings from the Miracure series, Henkel has significantly extended its product portfolio for paper and board surfaces, offering printers an extensive range of matt, gloss, satin and silicone coatings for all conventional print processes. This is a logical step. As a supplier of high-gloss laminating adhesives for the graphic arts industry, Henkel has demonstrated its technical expertise over and over again. In cooperation with customers, its experts develop chemically, technically and economically optimal solutions – covering everything from the adhesive itself and its application through to possible process improvements. “The Miracure UV coatings round off this product range perfectly, as we offer our customers comprehensive systems solutions from a single source,” says Mario Eckers, Sales Manager Graphic Arts at Henkel.

In developing the new metallic effect MiraFoil coating, Henkel's experts have accomplished a truly innovative leap forward. The Company is right in line with current trends, as the demand for highly finished products has grown significantly in the last few years. Special metallic finishes can also be increasingly found on the wish lists of printers. MiraFoil is a novel product that satisfies even the highest demands while meeting all the expectations of a modern effect lacquer in terms of both economics and ecology. Containing highly reflective, micro-fine aluminum flakes, the UV-curing lacquer gives paper and plastic substrates a radiant appearance similar to that of a silver foil. By applying a layer of ink, it is possible to generate any metallic color with a striking visual impact that shows off graphic products to best effect. What is special about this process is that, unlike conventional finishing techniques, MiraFoil can be selectively applied in target areas and, thanks to its high processing speed, ensures efficient printing.

Printers can benefit in a number of ways from using MiraFoil. So far, a comparable appearance and feel has only been possible with additional, complex hot or cold film embossing or by resorting to boxes with reflective surfaces. Whatever the product – brochures, book bindings, folding boxes or labels – with the UV lacquer developed by Henkel, many jobs involving silver, gold or metallized surfaces can now be performed in a single cycle, given an appropriate machine configuration. This not only saves time and money, but also benefits the environment lastingly – the elimination of stamping and cutting wastes being just one aspect. Another benefit is that unprinted MiraFoil can be pumped straight out of the press and reused at a later date. These are points that have profoundly impressed many printing firm. The new metallic finish from Henkel has scored particularly well with its exceptional ease of handling that differs little from that of conventional UV lacquers. MiraFoil can be employed inline in both screen and flexo printing.

Henkel AG & Co. KGaA