Sun Chemical’s Glenn Webster received the National Association of Printing Ink Manufacturers’ (NAPIM) Technical Achievement Award, one of the most prestigious honors in the ink manufacturing industry.

Recipients of the Technical Achievement Award are honored for making significant contributions to the science of printing ink formulation, manufacture or application.

“Glenn is more than deserving of this honor from NAPIM. During his career in the printing ink industry, he has developed and commercialized hundreds of products which have had a significant commercial impact for Sun Chemical and our customers,” says Philippe Schottland, global director-Functional Materials Technology, Sun Chemical. “The result of his work and contributions can be found today in many commercial products found on the shelves in applications ranging from beverage labels and folding cartons to flexible packaging offered by a wide range of brand owners.”

Webster started working in the printing ink industry in 1989 as a formulation chemist where he developed rheology-modified UV litho inks using novel low-temperature aluminum alkoxide gellants to gel polyester acrylate oligomers for improved litho performance and printability.

A holder of three patents, he further improved lithographic print performance with the development of a new approach to pigment dispersions for UV litho inks using non-reactive high molecular weight resins. He developed solutions to meet the industry’s needs for higher press speeds, introduced new barrier coatings that lightweight packaging and enhance shelf life, designed Mirrortech technology as a sustainable alternative to metallized board, and recently launched monoweb label overprint coatings which are a possible sustainable replacement to laminated labels in packaging.

“Glenn embodies all that our research and development team aims to accomplish at Sun Chemical,” says Russell Schwartz, chief technology officer, Sun Chemical. “From the get-go, he was committed to creating solutions that improve customer productivity, offering new revenue opportunities for our customers and contributing to a more sustainable future. We’re pleased that he has been honored with this well-deserved recognition.”

The award was given during NAPIM’s 2023 Fall Technical Conference, which was held September 12-14 in Oak Brook, Ill. Webster joins a long list of Sun Chemical employees over the company’s 200+ year history to be recognized for important industry accomplishments.