The world's #2 ink maker Flint Group has announced that they will be increasing prices across product lines for inks sold in North America. Citing continuing and unprecedented rise in raw material, transportation and energy costs. The largest increase will be for Packaging (12% depending on product technology and color.), Publication Gravure (10%), followed by Publication Heatset (8%), News Ink (6%), Sheetfed (5—7%).
This is the third price increase the Flint Group has made in the past year with the last on being announced on December 15th and going into effect February 1, 2007. Flint also raised prices for their coldset and news offset ink products October 1, 2006.
Sun Chemical, the worlds largest ink maker, increased prices on its Performance Pigments at the end of July 2007. The price increase was attributed to increased costs of chemicals and raw materials essential to the production of preparations.