Study of color degradation in package prints: Analyzing kinetics with principal component analysis

Color degradation is a pressing issue in various fields like food and medicine packaging, as well as printed materials, leading to a loss or distortion of vital information. Therefore, understanding how the color of package prints evolves over time is essential for product quality assessment and effective product life cycle management. This study focuses on investigating color changes in prints on blister foils, widely used in the medicine and packaging industries. To assess fading characteristics, samples printed via the gravure process have been exposed to a Xenon Test Chamber (B-SUN). Spectrophotometric measurements of the prints have been conducted using a spectroradiometer, and the data have been analyzed using principal component analysis (PCA). The fading nature of cyan and black prints aligns with Type IV, while magenta and yellow prints correspond to Type II, as described by Giles. Notably, cyan and black inks demonstrated resistance toward fading at the end of the exposure, with a minor exception. The investigation involved curve fitting, revealing a consistent first-order kinetic model governing fading rates throughout the exposure time. High R² values (0.96–0.99) and low root means square error values (0.02–0.08) are observed across all cases. While color fading involves diverse kinetics, the fading rate consistently adheres to a singular first-order kinetic path. The study highlights that yellow ink is most sensitive to light, followed by magenta ink. These findings offer valuable insights for optimizing packaging materials and ensuring product quality in industries reliant on printed materials. By mitigating color degradation, manufacturers can enhance the longevity and appeal of their products, reinforcing consumer trust and satisfaction. Furthermore, the effective utilization of PCA as a data analysis tool offers a valuable approach for future investigations in color science and related fields.