What Grafco does

Grafco S.r.l. is an Italian privately-held specialty chemicals company founded in 1979, headquartered in Camalò di Povegliano (Treviso province), that formulates and distributes inks and chemical auxiliaries for industrial printing. Its portfolio spans four printing platforms — screen printing, pad printing, flexo (UV and conventional), and digital (inkjet and laser transfer) — covering substrates including textile, plastic, paper, glass, leather, and ceramics. Core products include solvent-based, water-based, plastisol, UV/EB-curable, transfer, and nanotechnology inks; special-effect pigments (glitter, luminescent, scented); and printing auxiliaries (thinners, additives, catalysts, cleaning solvents). The company also operates three sub-brands: GrafcoAST for prepress software, RIP, and color separation; the Grafco Color System (GCS), an online spectrophotometer-driven Pantone formulation tool; and the Grafco Training Center (GTC) for operator training and product demos.

The business operates a direct enterprise field-sales model with four regional offices in Italy (Treviso HQ, Como, Firenze, Civitanova Marche) plus an international partner network. Grafco is the exclusive Italian distributor for Toyo Ink Europe (UV/EB curable inks and coatings) and complementary partnerships with Murakami (Japan), Proell (Germany), Pulse (England), Jujo (Japan), and Norcote (USA). It serves named enterprise customers including Salomon, Benetton, Tecnica, and Lotto across sportswear, footwear, fashion, and apparel; industrial manufacturing customers in perfume bottles, cosmetics, automotive, and electronics; and label/packaging converters. Revenue is generated through quote-based, one-time/transactional sales of inks and chemical specialties, with a recurring subscription-style component through the GCS software tool. The company holds no disclosed funding, has no M&A activity on record, and operates with 11–50 employees across all locations.

Name

Grafco

Legal name

Grafco S.r.l.

Website

https://grafco.it

Company type

Private

Founded year

1979

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Grafco S.r.l. is an Italian privately-held specialty chemicals company, founded in 1979, that formulates and distributes inks and chemical auxiliaries for screen, pad, flexo, and digital industrial printing across textile, plastic, glass, leather, and packaging substrates, serving enterprise customers in sportswear, automotive, cosmetics, electronics, and label sectors.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Industrial Printing Inks

NAICS

Printing Ink Manufacturing (32591)

SIC

Paints, Varnishes, Lacquers, Enamels & Allied Prods (2851)

akta.pro primary industry

Printing Inks (IMAEAHAG)

akta.pro secondary industries

Digital & Specialty Inks (Inkjet, UV, Conductive) (IMAEAHAI), Flexible Packaging Printing & Decoration (Flexo, Gravure, Digital, Cold Foil) (IMALABAM), Label Stock, Inks, Coatings & Laminates (Materials Supply) (IMALAKAL)

Keywords

• Screen printing inks
• Pad printing inks
• Flexo printing inks
• Water-based inks
• Industrial ink formulations

Headquarters

HQ city

Camalò

HQ country

Italy

HQ region

Europe

Offices5 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

Supply Chain, Operations, Technology or R&D, Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Printing Inks Production and Distribution: Production and distribution of screen printing inks, pad printing inks, and flexo printing inks, along with chemical auxiliaries and accessories for printing industries
2. Specialty Chemical Products: Development and sale of specialized chemical formulations including thinners, additives, catalysts, and cleaning solvents
3. Technology Solutions: GrafcoAST software and prepress solutions, Grafco Color System online formulation tool

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Grafco produces and distributes specialized inks and chemical auxiliaries for screen, pad, and flexo printing, plus UV varnishes, water-based inks, transfer systems, and nanotechnology inks for printed electronics. The portfolio is built around customized, sustainability-oriented ink formulations developed through an in-house R&D division and serves industrial printing operations in textile, label, packaging, automotive, and specialty applications. Complementing the inks, Grafco provides prepress software (GrafcoAST), an online color-matching tool (GCS), and operator training (GTC).

Product overview

Grafco is a printing ink and chemical specialty company that operates across multiple printing technology platforms: screen printing, pad printing, flexo (UV and conventional), and digital printing (inkjet and laser). Its core product portfolio centers on specialized inks—screen printing inks, pad printing inks, flexo printing inks, UV varnishes and inks, water-based inks, transfer ink systems, nanotechnology inks for electronics, special effects (glitter, luminescent, scented), and printing auxiliaries (thinners, additives, catalysts, solvents). The company also offers software and services through sub-brands: GrafcoAST for prepress software, RIP, color separation, and machine distribution/installation; Grafco Color System (GCS) for online color formulation; and the Grafco Training Center (GTC) for operator training and product demos. Product lines Dynatex & Digit and Newtex AF address digital inkjet and water-based textile printing respectively. The portfolio is unified by a focus on customized, sustainability-oriented ink solutions developed through long-standing R&D partnerships with industrial clients and international partners.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• GrafcoAST: Advanced System Technology - innovation and development of prepress software, distribution, installation and assistance of screen printing and digital machines.

Products and services

• Screen Printing Inks Specialized inks formulated for screen printing applications across textile, plastic, paper, glass, and leather substrates, including solvent-based, water-based, plastisol, and special-effects variants for industrial printers.
• Pad Printing Inks Inks, thinners, and cleaning solvents designed for pad printing machines, used on leather, glass, plastic, and ceramic materials for industrial applications such as perfume bottles, cosmetics, automotive, and electronics.
• Flexo Printing Inks and UV Varnishes UV flexo varnishes, UV-curable inks, and varnishes for paper industry applications used in the label and packaging converting industries.
• Water-Based Inks Water-based screen printing inks and inkjet inks with low VOC and no solvent requirements, suitable for T-shirt printing, leather printing, and packaging applications.
• Transfer Ink System and Materials Inks, primers, and transfer printing materials for screen and digital ink-jet and laser transfer applications across multiple industrial sectors.
• Nanotechnology Inks for Electronics and Inkjet Specialized inks using nanotechnology for printed electronics (PE) applications and digital inkjet printing on various substrates.
• Printing Auxiliaries Thinners, additives, catalysts, cleaning solvents, and detergents for improving ink fastness, print quality, and equipment maintenance in industrial printing operations.
• GrafcoAST Prepress Software and Machine Solutions Prepress software, RIP solutions, color separation, and graphic processing for screen and digital printing, plus distribution, installation, and technical assistance for screen printing and digital machines.
• Grafco Color System (GCS) Online color formulation system accessible via PC, tablet, and smartphone through the reserved customer area, enabling precise Pantone color matching across plastisol, water-based, and solvent bases using spectrophotometer-driven formulations.
• Grafco Training Center (GTC) Training facility in Camalò di Povegliano (TV), Italy for product demos, testing, and professional training on screen printing, pad printing, flexo, and hybrid screen/digital systems for industrial customers and operators.
• Dynatex & Digit Inkjet Pigment Inks Water-based inkjet pigment ink line for textile printing and digital inkjet applications, complementary to the screen printing portfolio.
• Newtex AF Water-Based Textile Inks Water-based ink line designed for professional textile printing results without requiring curing ovens, compatible with manual carousel printing machines.

Quantifiable outcome

• Grafco inks became standard reference in many industrial production sectors both in Europe and outside the EU
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers4 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature8 records

Partnerships

Nine partnerships are on record, tiered moderate, core and minor.

• SGIA (Specialty Graphic Imaging Association)moderateOthersGrafco has been a member of SGIA for over 10 years, providing access to industry resources, standards, and networking within the specialty graphic imaging sector
• ESMA (European Specialty Manufacturers Association)moderateOthersAssociate member of European association of manufacturers of inks, equipment, machinery and software for screen printing, flexo and digital printing
• Murakami JapancoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorJapanese company specializing in photoemulsion and capillary film development for screen printing. Murakami provides high repeatability and precision products including SBQ hybrid photoemulsions for ceramics, textiles, electronics, and large format printing, plus MS films for luxury labels and MS-THICK films for high thickness applications
• Proell KG GermanycoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorGerman manufacturer producing screen printing inks since 1938. Specializes in solvent and UV inks for industrial screen printing and pad printing including thermoforming, HF processing, IMD-IML applications, glass and metal printing, and automotive applications
• Pulse EnglandcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorEnglish company based in Bristol specializing in varnish, offset and flexo inks for high-quality labels. Products include EuPIA-compliant UV flexo inks for food packaging, low-odor formulations, and sleeve/wrap-around applications
• Toyo Ink Europe N.V.coreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorBelgian company and wholly-owned subsidiary of Toyo Ink Group, one of the world's largest printing ink manufacturers. 76 years in the industry, specializing in Energy Curable UV and EB inks and coatings for packaging, labels, and printing. Grafco is exclusive Italian distribution partner
• Jujo JapancoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorJapanese company specializing in special inks for industrial and high-technology automotive applications. Produces screen and pad printing inks plus UV varnish with high resistance for glass, metal, polyester/polycarbonate for electronics, IMD applications, and sandblasting-resistant UV specialties. Trusted by Toyota, Nissan, Subaru, Sony, Panasonic
• Norcote U.S.A.minorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorListed as a partner in Grafco's distribution network for screen printing products
• GrafcoASTcoreTechnology or IntegrationSubsidiary company (Advanced System Technology) focused on prepress software innovation, RIP, color separation, graphic processing, distribution and installation of screen printing and digital machines, and technical assistance

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Nazdar: US-based manufacturer of screen, digital, and flexographic printing inks serving industrial, signage, and specialty graphics markets. Directly comparable to Grafco's screen and digital ink portfolio.
• Proell KG: German specialty ink manufacturer producing solvent and UV inks for industrial screen and pad printing since 1938, including IMD/IML and automotive applications. Already a partner of Grafco and a like-for-like competitor in European industrial ink.
• Pulse Roll Label Products: UK-based specialist in UV flexo inks and varnishes for the label and packaging industry, including EuPIA-compliant food packaging formulations. Direct comparable to Grafco's flexo/UV flexo label offering and a current partner.
• Murakami (Japan): Japanese specialist in photoemulsions, capillary films, and screen printing consumables for ceramics, textiles, electronics, and large-format printing. Comparable niche focus on industrial screen printing and a current distribution partner of Grafco.
• Jujo Chemical: Japanese producer of specialty screen and pad printing inks plus UV varnishes for automotive (Toyota, Nissan), electronics, and IMD applications. Closely overlaps Grafco's specialty industrial ink range.
• Marabu: German manufacturer of screen, pad, and digital printing inks for industrial applications including automotive, electronics, and packaging. Closely comparable to Grafco in product portfolio (screen/pad inks) and European industrial customer base.
• Encres Dubuit: French manufacturer of screen and pad printing inks for cosmetics, automotive, and industrial decoration. Comparable European specialty screen/pad ink peer of similar scale to Grafco.
• Norcote: US-based manufacturer specializing in UV-curable screen printing inks for point-of-purchase, packaging, and industrial applications. Direct comparable on UV/screen ink technology and a listed Grafco partner.

Broad incumbents

• Siegwerk: Global ink manufacturer focused on packaging, label, and UV-curable inks, with strong European presence. A broad incumbent overlapping Grafco's UV flexo and label product lines.
• Sun Chemical: World's largest printing ink manufacturer offering screen, flexo, digital, and packaging inks globally. A broad incumbent in the same specialty ink categories Grafco serves, with much larger scale and geographic reach.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

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• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/grafco-srl-italy

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Grafco