Sun Chemical to Raise Ink Prices

Faced with continued increases in the costs of raw materials and volatility in the global supply chain, Sun Chemical will raise product prices on February 1 in North America by:

• 14¢/lb. for sheetfed blending bases,
• 10¢/lb. for sheetfed blacks, whites and varnishes,
• 12¢/lb. for heatset process black and color inks,
• 7¢/lb. for solvent-based liquid inks,
• 10¢/lb. for all white liquid inks,
• 5 percent for screen inks,
• 8-12 percent for heatset Pantone Matching Systems(PMS), fluorescent, metallic inks and overprint varnishes,
• 5-10 percent for silicones and washes, and
• 5 percent for fountain solutions.

For more than two years, raw materials cost and supply instability have significantly impacted the ink industry. Non-traditional factors that began early in 2010 to impact the price of major feedstocks and raw materials continue, including: supply base consolidation and capacity curtailment, significant decline in refinery margins, and rationalized operating rates to meet diminished demand. The combination of these factors has led to the elevated costs on such raw materials as TiO2, rosin and polyamide resins, nitrocellulose, and many more.

“In some cases, such as for TiO2, we have seen the global capacity reduced by as much as 10 percent in three years, demand driven up, and raw materials for manufacturing TiO2 become tight,” said Tony Renzi, Vice President of Product Management, Liquid Inks, North American Inks, Sun Chemical. “These factors have resulted in an increase in this raw material pricing of 15 percent in 2010 with another 8 percent increase announced for January 1, 2011.