German offset ink and acrylic varnish manufacturer Epple is marketing a new range of antimicrobial varnishes in France through its subsidiary Epple France. The result of more than two years of development, this varnish, which is made up of silver nanoparticles in particular, ensures that microbes, viruses and bacteria do not proliferate," explains Hervé Drapier, president of Epple France.
The varnish currently on the market is a gloss varnish, but the range will soon include a satin and matt varnish. Imprimerie Coopérative des Sucs (ICS) in Yssingeaux is the first French printing house to use this varnish. " ?Nous offer our customers the antimicrobial varnish at cost price. As a scop and part of the SSE (social and solidarity economy), it seemed obvious to us to contribute as much as we could to the health of the population, in the interest of général?" iCS CEO Jean-Marc Marzona explained to Graphiline last July.
Antimicrobial varnish can have multiple uses for all types of documents in contact with the public, for example restaurant menus or placemats.
Epple's competitor is another German company specialising in varnishes, Varcotec, which has also developed an antibacterial varnish, notably offered by the printing company Manufacture d'Histoires Deux-Ponts.
