Sun Chemical Broadens Metallic Ink Range for Packaging
18 July 2026: Sun Chemical has expanded its metallic inks portfolio for labels, folding cartons and flexible packaging, giving converters more options for premium effects across flexographic and gravure printing.
Sun Chemical’s range spans water-based, solvent-based and UV-curable systems. This allows printers to select formulations suited to different substrates, presses and packaging workflows while balancing visual effect, opacity and cost.
The wider choice lets converters match the metallic effect to the job instead of forcing one formulation across every application. The company says this can help brands create consistent premium effects across different packaging formats and regions.
Effects from subtle shine to mirror-like finishes
The portfolio combines Sun Chemical’s inks with internally developed metallic pigments. It includes cornflake, silver dollar and vacuum metallised pigment (VMP) geometries. Each produces a different balance of brilliance, coverage, reflectivity and price.
This gives printers options ranging from economical metallic finishes to high-lustre and chrome-like effects. The inks are intended for applications where packaging must stand out on crowded shelves without limiting designers to a single print process or ink technology.
Potential alternative to films and foils
Sun Chemical also says certain high-end metallic inks can replace metallised films and foils with a printed effect in some applications. That could help brands reduce their use of separate decorative layers while retaining a premium metallic appearance. The suitability of such a substitution will depend on the package, substrate, performance needs and production process.
“Converters and brands are looking for solutions that combine visual impact with performance, flexibility and sustainability,” said Jim Felsberg, Director of Product Management, Packaging Inks, at Sun Chemical. He said the expanded range is designed to deliver metallic effects across different substrates and print processes.
Sun Chemical has more than 100 years of experience in metallic pigments and supports customers through a global manufacturing and service network. Its metallic solutions include aluminium and gold bronze pigments under the Benda-Lutz brand, with leafing and non-leafing options for effects ranging from subtle sparkle to mirror-like finishes. The expansion reflects continued demand from converters and brand owners for packaging that combines shelf impact with production flexibility.
https://www.sunchemical.com/metallic-solutions/
