Welcome to the annual ESMA Glass Publication 2010, produced exclusively with our preferred partner Chameleon Business Media, publisher of Glass Worldwide Magazine.
ESMA and Chameleon are both committed to presenting the latest advanced technologies for glass decoration to glassmakers and decorators by means of the following articles from our members, as well by jointly GlassPrint, Europe’s leading conference and exhibition for glass decoration.
During GlassPrint 2009 in Darmstadt, Germany last November, it became clear that glass printing is still evolving. The latest solutions from digital inkjet printing were shown by a number of ESMA members and companies such as Roland, Durst, WP Digital.
The technology of sol-gel inks seems to have become more integrated in digital printing and UV inks with digital inkjet on glass have been developed and are regularly used. Flat glass decoration remains a major niche market for digital printing.
The evolution in screenprinting is also noticeable with the use of flat and container glass. Decoration on glass is becoming much more important and opens alternative niche applications for the future.
It is appreciated that printing on glass, with the development of printed electronics on glass substrates, has become a high tech technology discipline. This will bring new opportunities for glass decoration in the future.
From FEVE’s keynote presentation at GlassPrint 2009, we can conclude that the glass market has experienced some difficulties as a consequence of the economic crisis. It is noticeable that a number of countries (notably Poland, Turkey and Portugal) are becoming more important in glass production.
Plans are already afoot for the next GlassPrint in 2011; to be kept informed, please register your interest at www.glassprint.org .
This article was published “Annual ESMA Glass Publication 2010”
