For converters, the agreement provides a single source for inks, coatings, adhesives, plates, anilox rolls, doctor blades, mounting tapes, and other critical pressroom consumables supported by the combined technical expertise of both organizations.

Ralph Jenkins, vice president of Sales and Business Development, Mark Andy Print Products, outlined the benefits of the deal, “This agreement significantly expands the level of support we can bring to the pressroom. Converters are managing tighter color tolerances, shorter runs, a broader mix of applications, and increasing pressure to maintain consistency across jobs and facilities. By combining Mark Andy’s narrow web expertise and customer reach with Sun Chemical’s technical and formulation capabilities, we can help customers address those challenges through a more complete and coordinated approach.”

Sun Chemical offers technical resources that include expertise in low-migration UV LED inks, UV laminating adhesives, solvent-free adhesive technologies, color management, regulatory compliance, and formulations developed for demanding label and flexible packaging applications.

The agreement comes as the boundaries between label and flexible packaging production continue to narrow. Label converters are increasingly adding pouches, sachets, stick packs, bags, shrink sleeves, and other unsupported-film applications to their production mix, while traditional flexible packaging producers are evaluating narrower inline platforms to produce shorter runs more efficiently. Sun Chemical’s experience in wide web flexible packaging, low-migration chemistry, coatings, and laminating adhesives will give Mark Andy Print Products additional resources to support converters entering these markets.

The partnership also creates a broader platform for improving color consistency across jobs, production runs, presses, and facilities. Mark Andy customers will gain access to Sun Chemical’s SunColorBox® ecosystem, an integrated set of color management tools and services designed to support color communication, matching, formulation, dispensing, and production control.

SunColorBox will complement the Mark Andy Print Products Color Smart Program, which evaluates the interconnected pressroom variables that influence repeatability. During the Color Smart audit, fingerprinting, and calibration process, MAPP specialists review how plates, mounting tape, anilox rolls, doctor blades, ink, and press settings work together to affect color performance.

By combining Mark Andy’s pressroom evaluation, fingerprinting, calibration, and operating standards with Sun Chemical’s color formulation, matching, dispensing, and production expertise, the companies can provide converters with a more comprehensive approach to achieving repeatable results across operators, shifts, presses, and multiple production facilities.

As the relationship develops, Mark Andy and Sun Chemical also plan to introduce ink dispensing technologies at Mark Andy facilities and selected customer locations. These systems will allow spot colors to be produced closer to the point of use, helping converters streamline color matching and ink delivery, reduce excess inventory and waste, and dispense the quantities required for individual production needs.

The companies are also collaborating on high-speed flexographic applications, including low-migration ink performance and curing at elevated press speeds. The work combines Mark Andy’s press and web-handling expertise with Sun Chemical’s ability to develop and refine ink chemistry for specific equipment, substrates, curing systems, regulatory requirements, and end-use applications.

Learn more about Sun Chemical at sunchemical.com.