REACH is the acronym for the Registration, Evaluation and Authorization of Chemicals, a new European legislation that will come into effect on the 1st of June 2007. REACH will apply to the production and marketing of chemical substances. This also includes imports from outside the EU.

REACH directly applies to substances only. Substances are essentially chemical compounds that are obtained by any manufacturing process, including any additive to preserve its stability and any impurity derived from the manufacturing process, but excluding solvents. Substances can be marketed as such or mixed together in a formulation to form a preparation.

REACH replaces most existing EU legislation on chemical substances. In future, it is the responsibility of the company to guarantee the safety of chemical substances. All substances subject to REACH will have to be evaluated based on pre-described physical, chemical, toxicological and ecotoxicological data for their identified uses. High-risk substances will be additionally subjected to authorization. All members throughout the entire supply chain must be part of an effective risk-communication.

This means for the printer as a user of chemical substances or chemical preparations such as inks and coatings to take over responsibilty and to participate in the successful implementation of the regulation. ACTEGA Terra supports its customers and has been very active in the preparation for REACH. We inform ourselves continuously about the ongoing developments. Although our coatings represent preparations that are not liable to registration as such, we see our main task in identifying the critical raw materials in our formulations. So we are in direct contact and dialog with our suppliers to get all necessary information. By means of this, we will be able to fulfill all requirements of the regulation and to provide our customers with safe and conforming products.

For more detailed information on REACH (consequences and time schedule), please click here.

Printing products do not only define themselves via their visual effects. In order to achieve differentiation at the Point of Sale, an increasing number of brand owners try to address the other senses of the consumer, too. Multisensoric packaging is the key word. Beside optics or odour, also haptics of the packaging is included.

For ACTEGA Terra, the feeling plays an important role. With the TERRAWET Matt Coating G 9/50 dull matt you create a velvety surface for your printing product (Soft Touch effect). Comparable to a peach, you achieve an exceptional finishing on paper or carton. Easy in its application, the TERRAWET Matt Coating G 9/50 dull matt is characterized by a high scratch and scuff resistance. It is suitable for two-sided coating, and can be applied inline and offline.

As another option in haptics, we recommend the TERRAWET Matt Coating G 9/70 Gentle Touch. This coating creates a distinctive Gentle Touch effect, combined with a wet-feeling. This wet-feeling, which reminds on soft leather, makes the touch of the surface a unique experience.

By the way, in contrast to haptics, we avoid odour. Therefore, our coatings are principally characterised by low odour.

Inmould Labels are used where packaging made of plastics are produced and decorated in one process. During the injection moulding, the printed and stamped label - mostly on basis of OPP foil - is embedded into the hot plastics. This procedure creates an ideal connection between the two elements. Inmould Labels are more resistant than their self-adhesive relatives. Their rimless and clean surface makes them a very special kind of decoration.

In the production of Inmould Labels, coatings play an important role. Beside their task to add value to the printing product by high-quality finishing and by offering protection, they must guarantee an efficient handling in the inmould process.

Waterbased coatings for Inmould Labels by ACTEGA Terra dry extremely fast. Their very good rub and heat resistance allow safe production processes. Ask for our TERRAWET Special Coating G 9/221 Z or for the TERRAWET Special Coating G 9/261. Our UV varnishes provide a very good adhesion. They are additionally low odour as well as scratch and scuff resistant. Products in this category include the TERRAGLOSS UV Special Coating G 8/136 and our TERRAGLOSS UV Special Coating G 8/130 matt. All coatings offer an easy separation of labels.

A consequent quality control as well as the compliance with hygiene and environmental standards go without saying at ACTEGA Terra. Just now we have been certified following HACCP (Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Points) and according to LMHV (Lebensmittelhygieneverordnung - regulations for foodstuffs hygiene) until 2010. This certification shows that we fulfill the requirements regarding the safety of foodstuffs. For you this means: safe coatings for the production of your foodstuffs packaging. Like this, you also convince your customer.

Naturally, ACTEGA Terra is certified in accordance with DIN EN ISO 9001 and 14001. Also, as a SONY Green Partner we fulfill the strict requirements of the SONY Corporation by avoiding the use of substances that are dangerous to the environment and hazardous to health. 16 of our products are listed in and recommended by the Sony Green Partner Book.

Our certifcates as well as further information regarding our quality management you find here.

Have you already printed on a particular substrate and realised that the ink binding agent absorbs too fast into the substrate? The consequence: less colour intensity and brilliance for your printing products.

The TERRAWET Primer G 9/234 works against the fast absorption of printing inks into the substrate. By sealing the substrate surface, the coating avoids the loss of brilliance and the expressiveness of your printing products. If metallic inks are applied, the TERRAWET Primer G 9/234 even achieves a better adhesion. By means of this, the colour layer does not split when exposed to mechanical strains. The result: a value-added substrate, safe production conditions and the realisation of the optimal quality for your customer.

Another field of application for our primer is found where normal printing presses up to six colours come to their limits. E.g. for the print of cigarette packaging with warning illustrations, a second printing process is often essential. The consequence: a high usage of powder, a higher risk that the inks set off and therefore a possible blocking in the pile.

With the TERRAWET Primer G 9/234 you solve this challenge successfully. By applying the coating in the first printing process, you produce powder-reduced and without setting off. Your printing product already achieves protection against scratches. Afterwards, you overprint the TERRAWET Primer G 9/234 safely with all other colours. At the end, we recommend the application of a ACTEGA Terra overprint varnish, especially adapted to non-absorbing substrates.

The TERRAWET Primer G 9/234 is suitable to be printed with conventional offset-, UV-, flexo- and gravure printing inks. It dries fast and is characterised by a good scratch and scuff resistance.

Many product information that are found on packaging are variable. Included are country-related information, best-before dates, prices or charge numbers. In order to apply these information cost-effectively and time-saving, an increasing number of brand owners look for efficient solutions.

ACTEGA Terra offers such a solution. Apply our TERRAEFFEKT UV Laser Varnish G 7/600 or the waterbased TERRAEFFEKT Laser Coating G 6/500. By means of this, you create a field of coating that can be marked with a CO2-Laser. The marking is done by DataLase pigments, part of the coatings, that are systematically burned by the laser and cause a permanent change in colour. The result: a high-quality marking of your printing products, fast and individually applicable on every packaging.

Our laser-sensitive coatings are suitable for offset, flexo and gravure printing. They are characterised by a very good coverage and allow a marking with high edge definition. For the protection of your printing products we recommend the application of a waterbased overprint varnish. The TERRAWET Special Coating G 9/595 provides your printing product with brilliance and a very good scratch and scuff resistance. Also for products/labels that are pasteurised or sterilised at a later point of time, we offer coatings that protect the DataLase pigment.

Many filling goods, as for example caoutchouc (natural rubber), require particular packaging characteristics. In direct contact with uncoated substrates, they easily stick to it. Is the packaging separated from the filling good, the substrate is damaged. The consequence: a contamination of the filling good by the packaging material.

The TERRAFLEX-F Special Coating G 11/189 Release solves this challenge. Developed for the inner coating of paper or carton packaging, this coating shows a good release effect against caoutchouc and similar products. While heat resistant between 180° C and 200° C, this coating is block, scratch and scuff resistant. It can be processed in flexo printing (pre-print and post-print) as well as with roller systems.