The use of metallic pigments in printing ink formulations is a frequent question asked of printing ink manufacturers. Due to health, safety, and environmental concerns U.S. ink manufacturers discontinued the use of heavy metal-based pigments in inks more than 20+ years ago.

There is currently a renewed interest in the environmental impact and safety of a whole range of manufactured materials including printing inks. The recent media attention concerning the detection of toxic metals in pigmented coatings (paints and inks) applied to imported products has led to a plethora of published information as well as posted information on a variety of internet sites. In many instances, this information is incorrect,= inaccurate, or misleading as there is a tendency to make generalizations about metals of all types. The objective of this report is to provide current and accurate information regarding the origins, presence, and usage of metals in printing inks currently manufactured in the United States.

Metals can be present in printing inks in the form of metal-based pigments, driers, or through impurities and contaminants in the raw materials used in the formulation process. Federal health and environmental regulations enacted in the United States beginning 1970s made the usage of the known highly toxic metals (i.e. lead, arsenic, selenium, mercury, cadmium, and hexavalent chromium or compounds based on these metals) as printing ink formulation components an unattractive option and ultimately resulted in the large-scale removal of these metals from commercial usage in printing inks. It is important to note that the term “heavy metal” has no specific definition within the U.S. health, safety, and environmental regulations or within the scientific/technical community.