Crude Oil Prices Push Up Ink Costs

Rising crude oil prices continue to put pressure on ink makers to find ways to recoup cost increases for their raw materials, including pigments, chemicals, freight and packaging. As a result, Flint Group is instituting surcharges and price increases for all commercial and packaging inks sold in North America, effective on all products billed on or after July 21, 2008.

A surcharge of $0.10/lb. is being added for all solvent, energy curable and paste products (inks, coatings, extenders/blend vehicles), while water-based inks, coatings, extenders/blend vehicles and additives will carry a $0.06/lb. extra charge.

Price increases will be assessed on a percentage basis depending on type:

• Solvent liquid ink colors, extenders/blend vehicles and additives — 5%
• Solvent liquid blacks and all solvent and water whites — 7%
• Water-based ink colors and blacks — 4%
• Conventional sheetfed paste inks — 6%
• All energy curable products — 6%

Increases on other brands of ink went into effect on July 1st. Central Ink implemented a range of price increases, including $0.12/lb. on all non-heatset black inks and 8% on colors, along with a flat 6% for all heatset inks. Sun Chemical’s Performance Pigments division raised its pigment prices by 10% to 30%. In addition, the Flint Group North America Publication and News Inks divisions imposed a surcharge of $0.10/lb. on all heatset, coldset and news inks.