What do you picture when someone mentions children’s toys? Bright red tricycles? Dolls? Plastic play kitchens? Even as toys change throughout the years, one thing remains the same: the need for children’s playthings to be created with highly decorative, safe inks that appeal to young and old alike.
Actually, if you’re a toy manufacturer, you’re likely also thinking about how resistant your printing inks are to chemicals, wear and tear, and mechanical strain. You want to produce a high-quality product consumers can enjoy during the holidays and beyond, and Marabu can help. We’re committed to innovation, quality, and printing inks that meet the precise specifications our customers require, and that’s why we’ve written this article.
Don’t just print to impress. Print to last by choosing a safe ink that also meets your standards for vibrancy and imagination. In this article, we’ll take a look at the fascinating color psychology of children’s toys and make a case for safe, vibrant inks as the true creative outlet for toys that consumers will be eager to wrap and place under the tree.
Safe Ink is the Best Ink
We would know. Toys are subject to particularly high safety requirements, which is why our printing inks are free of heavy metals and meet all legal standards. The EU’s Toy Safety Directive 2009/48/EC forbids the use of many hazardous chemicals in the construction and printing phases of toy manufacturing, making the ink you choose incredibly important if you want your product to pass the self- or third-party verification process the EU has put in place.
Here are two inks we recommend for printing designs on toys:
Maqua® Pad MAP
Maqua® Pad MAP is the world’s first water-based pad printing ink that meets all the safety standards of the toy industry. It’s nearly odorless and has no pot life or ink residuals. This is a superior choice if you’re looking for a safe ink with a versatile color range and the ability to withstand the biting, chewing, throwing, and other high-use activities of the average toy enjoyer. Suitable applications for this vibrant ink include:
- Wood Toys: bead mazes, puzzles, wooden tops, etc.
- PVC Toys: bath toys, action figures, rubber dolls, inflatables, and squeezable toys.
- Polycarbonate Toys: building blocks and outdoor play equipment.
- ABV Toys: board games, toy vehicles, Lego blocks, etc.
- Textile Toys: stuffed animals, cloth dolls, etc.
Tampa® Plus TPL
Tampa® Plus TPL is another great option. Versatile and easy to use, this safe ink choice dries quickly and provides durable, vivid prints for a wide range of toys. Applicable materials include those listed above with the exception of wood and textiles.
Tampa® Tex TPX
Tampa® Tex TPX is a flexible, safe ink we recommend for printing on baby toys such as teething rings and soothers. It is particularly well suited to materials like Tritan and polypropylene and boasts a mild formulation that meets all manufacturer guidelines. You can explore additional printing inks designed for baby and toddler products here.
Decorative Ink for Toys: Why Color Matters
Parents want the best for their children, and this includes the best toys. Bright, dazzling colors will catch their eye, but here are some interesting facts about the way color can bring new meaning to everyday knicknacks and baubles:
- Attention: Did you know a child’s ability to concentrate can be linked to the colors they’re surrounded with? Bright colors are important here as they grab a child’s attention.
- Emotional State: While bright, warm colors such as orange can make youngsters feel energetic and happy, colors on the cooler end of the spectrum, such as blue, can impart a sense of peace and tranquility.
- Learning: Different colors offer different teaching opportunities about shapes, sizes, and other basic concepts. The brighter the colors are, the more likely young children will be to adopt a spirit of exploration and learning.
- Personal Expression: Children often have limited outlets for self expression. With bright, beautiful colors to fuel their creativity, they can select toys that speak to how they feel.
- Sleep: Those cooler, more soothing colors we mentioned earlier can also help children relax and fall asleep more easily.
Too many bright, clashing colors can be overstimulating and make a child cranky and less capable of learning. Well-coordinated colors, on the other hand, can enhance both emotional intelligence and intellectual development.
Whether or not parents have these in-depth insights, they’re still seeking toys that look intriguing, fun, and perhaps most importantly, durable. With the right decorative ink for toys, both the appearance and longevity of your newly printed products can be accounted for.
Unlock Childlike Imagination with Marabu
Imagination is a beautiful thing. So, imagine this: machines hum to life and colorful inks come together to create the stunning visual designs parents expect and children pour their creative energy into. Meanwhile, you rest easy knowing that everything you’ve printed is reliably non-toxic.
You can stop imagining now. At Marabu, we are always aware of our responsibility to people and the environment, and thanks to our keen focus on product safety, we’ve been able to create inks that maintain their vibrancy and durability while being fully non-toxic and safe for children all over the world to enjoy. As the holidays approach and manufacturing deadlines loom ever closer, you can rely on Marabu’s quality and operational efficiency to get you through this busy season.
If you’re looking for non-toxic ink for toys, our innovative printing solutions are waiting for you. Contact us today for more information.
