Comparison of the rub stability of gravure and offset UV inks printed on substrates with non‐wood fibers

The final quality of a graphic product largely depends on the source of raw materials for pulp and paper, the type of printing ink, the technology of printing the product and the conditions under which the printing was performed. Each analog printing technology is suitable for a particular type of printing substrate depending on the transfer of printing ink from the printing plate to the printing substrate. In the last few years, due to the over-exploitation of forests as a natural resource on a global scale, there is a growing tendency to replace wood as a traditional raw material for the production of paper with fibres from non-wood sources. The use of other cellulose sources for paper production is a costeffective and environmentally friendly solution that reduces the consumption of virgin wood pulp. In this paper, the rub stability was analyzed on a printing substrate with non - wood fibers obtained from triticale straw printed with gravure and offset UV inks. By comparing the mechanical stability of prints made by these two analog technologies, direct and indirect, the usability of innovative printing substrates with non-wood fibers was assessed.