BOBST is furthering its support for digital label printers and helping the market navigate complex compliance challenges with its Thalia UV Digital Inks, which are formulated and aligned with new regulations.
As regulations for food, pharmaceutical, cosmetic, and toy packaging tighten across Europe, label converters face increasing pressure to manage compliance risk, satisfy brand owner audits, and make future‑proof technology decisions.
With the Swiss Ordinance 2026 and German Ink Ordinance 2027 approaching fast, regulatory compliance is no longer a one‑off requirement but a continuous operational discipline. In response, BOBST has strengthened its position in the digital label printing market with Thalia UV Digital Inks for labels, formulated to help converters meet increasingly complex regulatory requirements without compromising performance.
Designed for continuous compliance in a shifting regulatory landscape
Thalia UV Digital Inks are TPO‑free inkjet inks uniquely formulated to exclude more than 20 groups of substances of concern, including:
- PFAS
- Phthalates
- Bisphenols
- ITX
- MOSH/MOAH
- Parabens
- Primary aromatic amines
This formulation approach aligns Thalia inks with important regulations, such as the Swiss Ordinance 2026 and the upcoming German Ink Ordinance (GIO) 2027, helping converters to proactively anticipate future regulatory enforcement rather than react to it.
High performance for demanding label applications
Thalia is a high‑performance UV ink system specifically engineered for digital label printing with BOBST’s Inkjet Technology. They are suited to multiple challenging applications, such as food, cosmetics, and toy labels among others.
The inks can deliver long‑run color consistency at printing speeds up to 100m/min printing at 1200 x 1200 dpi, and support wet-on-wet printing for the highest color gamut and spot color appearance for solids. Existing BOBST press users can switch to the new and most compliant inks without any hardware upgrade, nor the need for inert gas. A primer is also not needed for most substrates.
These performance characteristics are achieved while maintaining controlled migration levels, helping label converters remain compliant with the latest rules and regulations while preserving productivity and print quality.
Compliance backed by structured governance
Thalia UV Digital Inks were first announced at drupa 2024 and are formulated using the authorized substances list of the Swiss Ordinance 2026. This forward-looking approach ensures that converters are equipped with a solution aligned with regulatory requirements ahead of enforcement deadlines, reducing the risk of future disruption.
Beyond the ink formulation, BOBST has implemented a dedicated Food Contact Material (FCM) governance framework to support converters. This framework combines authorized substance formulation, certified migration testing, and predictive modeling to create a structured and transparent compliance methodology. The result is a clearly defined migration operating window, enabling converters to manage risk with greater confidence and transparency. Thalia inks exclude more than 20 groups of substances of concern, supporting compliance with key frameworks including EU 1935/2004, EuPIA Good Manufacturing Practice, REACH, and leading brand-owner guidelines.
Turning regulatory pressure into competitive advantage
Patrick Graber, Marketing Director PL Labels at BOBST, commented: “Thalia UV Digital Inks are the solution for today’s digital label printers, at a time when regulatory compliance has become a defining challenge for the whole industry. The introduction of the Swiss Ordinance 2026 and the forthcoming German Ink Ordinance (GIO) 2027 are reshaping expectations around ink formulation, migration behavior, and documentation. Brand owners are placing growing emphasis on risk mitigation and traceability,” he continued. “Converters are no longer simply asked to comply, but to prove compliance with robust, evidence-based data across every application. This makes compliance a continuous operational discipline placing extreme pressure on converters.”
This shift is being driven both by legislation and by brand owners, who are demanding greater transparency and accountability throughout the supply chain. As a result, inks have become one of the most scrutinized components in label production.
With a fully compliant and future-proof ink set, converters not only have peace of mind, but are sure about the next steps in the regulatory framework and can prove it with tangible data and documents to their customers.
“Thalia UV Digital Inks have been developed in direct response to these industry challenges. Thanks to the active participation of BOBST in the Joint Industry Group (JIG), contributing to guidelines for Article 35a of the Swiss Ordinance, and reinforcing this forward‑looking compliance strategy, we have been able to align formulation with future regulations and embedding compliance into a structured framework, we are enabling converters to turn regulatory complexity into a source of competitive strength.
“With regulatory pressure continuing to increase, BOBST’s ongoing investment in Thalia UV Digital Inks reflects a broader commitment to supporting the transformation of label production and to ensure our customers are able to take on additional business from brand owners which was not addressable until today,” affirmed Graber.
By integrating compliance, performance, and operational efficiency, Thalia UV Digital Inks give converters a future-ready foundation for sustainable growth, whilst simplifying label production.