Itasca, IL - Xeikon, a division of Punch Graphix, announced today that its innovative QA-I toner technology has achieved exceptional "lightfastness" ratings.

Xeikon's QA-I toner, which was introduced at IPEX 2010 and developed specifically for its family of digital label presses, has been formulated to take toner lightfastness to an entirely new level. Lightfastness is a measure of how well a printed image resists discoloration or fading as a result of exposure to sunlight over time. Some printed images, such as those located in an office environment where the image is affected mostly by artificial light, have lower lightfastness requirements than images that will be continuously exposed to sunlight.

Lightfastness is measured using the Blue Wool scale with ratings ranging from 1 (very low) to 8 (ultimate). A rating of 8 means that the color will begin to fade in 6 to 15 months, while a rating of 1 means that fading will occur between 3 hours to 3 days. Out of Xeikon's QA-I standard process colors, Black (K) achieved the highest lightfastness rating of 8, Cyan (C) achieved a rating of 7-8, while Magenta (M) and Yellow (Y) achieved a rating of 6-7. This is the best combination of lightfastness ratings among all the different digital printing technologies currently available on the market for label production.

According to Filip Weymans, Business Development Manager-Labels and Packaging at Xeikon, "The most impactful product labels are those that will stand out on the shelf and capture a consumer's attention. The Xeikon QA-I toner achieves this objective by providing excellent color consistency to label converters and ensuring that the printed colors maintain their vitality over time."

Xeikon's QA-I toner is produced at the company's dedicated toner plant in Heultje, Belgium. This revolutionary toner also meets the applicable U.S. Food and Drug Administration guidelines for indirect and direct food contact with dry food items under room temperature and less severe conditions.