Fogra-research of consumables & inks

Topics

Every single person at Fogra stands for research, testing and certification.

The research area covers the properties of individual materials (e.g. printing inks, substrates) and their behaviour in the printing process (e.g. curing, change of properties due to the printing process) as well as the interaction of individual components (e.g. adhesion, emulsion formation). Furthermore, environmental compatibility and energy optimisation are important topics.

Mineral oil

Since the publication of the suspected mineral oil contamination of chocolate from Advent calendars 2012 in Germany, the topic has become a focal point in the german printing industry and thus also in Fogra's research activities. UBA report (German version with English summary) available free of charge.

Fogra employee approves fountain concentrates

Corrosion

As a result of its many years of activities in the field of the certification of fountain concentrates, Fogra has built up considerable expertise in the area of corrosion and has repeatedly dealt with this topic in research projects.

UV printing

Fogra has been accompanying the development of radiation-curing printing inks for a very long time with a large number of research projects and invites the industry to the established Forum UV printing (“Anwenderforum UV-Druck”) every two years to discuss the latest trends and findings.

Printable sensor technology for automated verification of best-before dates and cold chain monitoring in the retail sector

Materials & Environment 04/01/2026

The aim of the project is to develop chip-free RFID tags for encoding best-before dates and for use as an indicator to show whether the cold chain has…

Host-guest complexes for the needs-based dosing of AIE-active photosensitisers

Materials & Environment 10/01/2025

The aim of this project is to develop a host-guest complex for AIE-active photosensitisers in fountain solution circuits.

Biobased UV-curing offset inks

Materials & Environment 03/01/2025

This project aims to develop bio-based, biodegradable, and deinkable UV-curable offset printing inks.

Electricity and CO2 savings in sheet-fed offset printing through optimisation of material selection and process parameters

Offset printing 02/01/2025

The aim is to investigate the electricity savings that can be achieved through targeted material selection and machine settings.

Increased economic efficiency and sustainability of print production with heatset offset presses through independence from natural gas

Offset printing 12/31/2024

The research project is intended to help make print production with heatset offset presses more economical and sustainable.

Visual and metrological characterization of metallic effects to increase process reliability in packaging printing

Prepress technology 05/31/2024

The aim is to clarify which properties in human perception are responsible for the expression of the metallic effect.

Monitoring and decontamination of fountain solution circuits

Materials & Environment 03/27/2024

Process developent for monitoring and minimising microbial contamination in the fountain solution cycle on the basis of AIE active photosensitisers.

Printing standard for seven-colour offset packaging printing

Offset printing 11/30/2023

The aim is to characterise OGV printing inks, folding boxboard and label papers on the market using laboratory techniques.

Mackle and CO2 savings through paper-dependent pre-adjustment of sheet-fed offset presses

Offset printing 08/31/2022

The aim is to establish a new paper characteristic value that allows to predict the expected solid tone densities and tone value increases.

Dr Philipp Stolper

Head of Materials & Environment

+49 89 431 82 - 354

Get in touch

Your contact

Please simply contact me if you are interested in participating in the Technical Committee “Materials & Environment” or in a Project Advisory Group to cooperate with us in ongoing research projects and be part of the progress process as it happens.

Participate actively our research work in the Technical Committee (TC)!

Request TC membership

Research reports

Downloads

A woman with safety goggles and a lab coat sits in a laboratory

Our research is publicy funded

research support

Testing

Consumables (e.g. paper and inks), printed products as well as the curing of UV prints are tested. In addition to quality assurance tests, we offer support in the event of damage.

Certification

In addition to approval tests for fountain concentrates and washing agents for sheet-fed and web offset printing presses, certification is also offered for other consumables and additives required for the printing process, as well as printing inks.

Events

Fogra is your excellent source of knowledge and expertise. We make it available to the industry through training, symposia and other specialist events through which we promote and support the discussions of themes that are key for the future.

Researching Materials & Environment

Focus areas