Manufacturer of screen, pad and digital printing inks as well as creative colours, based in Tamm near Stuttgart.
Marabu GmbH & Co. KG
Tamm (Headquarters) · Bietigheim-BissingenNew on Amplifa
About Marabu
Marabu is a manufacturer of printing inks and creative colours headquartered in Tamm near Stuttgart. The company develops and produces screen, pad and digital printing inks as well as liquid coatings in solvent-based, UV- and LED-curing and water-based systems. In its second business unit, acrylic and speciality colours for artists, creatives and children are manufactured. The ink formulations are used, among other things, on glass, ceramics, plastics such as PVC, PE, PP and PC, metals and textiles; industries include automotive, packaging, glass, textiles, ski/winter sports, traffic signs and aviation. Production takes place at the two German sites Tamm (printing inks, around 250 employees) and Bietigheim-Bissingen (creative colours and water-based printing inks, around 90 employees). Customer-specific ink formulations are offered through the Custom Color Center, in batches of up to several tonnes; additionally, a test print service on original substrates is available. Through more than 16 subsidiaries and distribution partners in over 80 countries, Marabu distributes its products worldwide.
- Site
- Tamm
- Processes
- Screen printing ink manufacturing (solvent-based, UV-curing, LED-curing, water-based), Pad printing ink manufacturing (solvent-based, UV-curing, water-based), Digital printing ink manufacturing (solvent-based, UV-curing, LED-curing, water-based), Liquid coatings (UV-curing), Spray and brush paint (water-based), Customer-specific ink formulations (Custom Color Center, HKS/RAL/Pantone/NCS, special effects such, Screen stretching / stencil and film production (Screen Preparation), Test print service (on original substrate)
- Materials
- Printing inks (screen, pad, digital printing), Creative colours (acrylic and speciality colours), Water-based printing inks, UV/LED-curing printing inks, Mara Tech SK screen printing ink, Liquid coatings, Polycarbonate films (PC) for Film Insert Molding (FIM), Glass
- Certificates
- ISO 9001:2015, ISO 14001:2015, ISO 37301:2021, ISO 45001:2018 / Systematic Safety, OEKO-TEX ECO PASSPORT, FSC Chain of Custody (FSC-STD-40-004), GREENGUARD Gold (digital printing inks), EcoVadis Bronze (Top 35%), FSC Chain of Custody, GREENGUARD Gold
- Founded
- 1859
- Employees
- 500
- Industries
- Automotive industry, Packaging, Glass, Textiles, Ski/winter sports, Traffic signs
- 01
Research and development
- 02
Formulation and colour measurement (ColorFormulator/ColorManager)
- 03
Manufacture of printing inks and creative colours
- 04
Customer-specific colour mixing (Custom Color Center)
- 05
Test print service on original substrate
- 06
Quality inspection (QHSE)
- 07
Logistics and sales
- 08
Technical service (hotline, field service, training)
Ink systems and processes
Solvent-based screen and pad printing inks
Broadly applicable systems such as Mara Poly P and Mara Star SR for labels, toys and plastic substrates.
UV-curing printing inks
Developed since 1985; more than 40 series for screen, pad and digital printing with energy-saving curing.
LED-curing printing inks
For example Ultra Glass LEDGF for drinking glasses and bottles, free of BPA, BPS and PFAS.
Water-based printing inks
Ink generations such as Maqua Pad MAP and Maqua Tex MAXT+ with low VOC content for textile printing.
Digital printing inks
More than 20 series for graphic and industrial digital printing, some GREENGUARD Gold certified.
Liquid coatings
UV-curing coatings, also produced at the North Charleston site (USA).
Creative colours (acrylic and speciality colours)
Acrylic colours, markers, window colour and craft products, predominantly water-based, manufactured in Bietigheim-Bissingen.
Polycarbonate films (PC) for Film Insert Molding
Ink system Mara Mold MPX for decorating PC films in FIM applications.
Industrial inks (Mara Tech)
For example Mara Tech SK for ski manufacturing and Mara Panel MPA for control panels; adhesive and resistant.
Locations
Tamm
DEHeadquarters since 1945: production of printing inks and liquid coatings, R&D, logistics, administration, sales
- Materials
- Screen, pad and digital printing inks, UV/LED and water-based systems, custom colours
- Exhaust air purification system (2025, approx. €1 million, reduction of solvent emissions approx. 90%)
- ColorFormulator MCF-H2 / MCF-HD3 spectrophotometer
Bietigheim-Bissingen
DEProduction of creative colours and water-based printing inks, R&D, logistics, administration, sales
- Materials
- Creative colours, water-based printing inks
Industries
Processes & technical limits
| Processes | Tolerance | Max. part | Weight | Lot size | Materials |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Screen printing ink manufacturing (solvent-based, UV-curing, LED-curing, water-based)Plastics | – | – | – | – | Printing inks, Substrates such as glass, ceramics, plastics (PVC, PE, PP, |
| Pad printing ink manufacturing (solvent-based, UV-curing, water-based)Plastics | – | – | – | – | Printing inks for various substrates |
| Digital printing ink manufacturing (solvent-based, UV-curing, LED-curing, water-based)Plastics | – | – | – | – | Printing inks for graphic and industrial digital printing |
| Liquid coatings (UV-curing)Surface | – | – | – | – | Coatings |
| Spray and brush paint (water-based)Plastics | – | – | – | – | water-based paints |
| Customer-specific ink formulations (Custom Color Center, HKS/RAL/Pantone/NCS, special effects suchEngineering | – | – | – | several tonnes | Printing inks for screen and pad printing |
| Screen stretching / stencil and film production (Screen Preparation)Engineering | – | – | – | – | – |
| Test print service (on original substrate)Testing | – | – | – | – | Customer substrates |
| Colour mixing and formulation service (ColorManager Online, ColorFormulator with spectrophotometersTesting | – | – | – | 50-100 g (test quantity) | Screen and pad printing inks |
4 Anlagen & Maschinen
| Machine | Manufacturer / model | Quantity | Working area | Year built | Site |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spectrophotometer | Marabu ColorFormulator MCF-HD3 | – | – | – | – |
| Spectrophotometer | Marabu ColorFormulator MCF-H2 | – | Measuring aperture 8 mm, d/8, spectral resolution 10 nm | – | – |
| Exhaust air purification system | – | 1 | – | 2025 | Tamm |
| Dispenser/scale integration for colour mixing | – | – | – | – | – |
Additional services
Reference customers
Quality and safety
An in-house QHSE department for quality, health & safety and the environment safeguards standards such as ISO 9001, ISO 14001 and ISO 45001; test prints are carried out on original substrates in the company's own print center in Tamm.
| Evidence | Tamm | Bietigheim-Bissingen |
|---|---|---|
| ISO 9001:2015 | ||
| ISO 14001:2015 | ||
| ISO 45001:2018 / Systematic Safety | ||
| ISO 37301:2021 | ||
| FSC Chain of Custody | ||
| OEKO-TEX ECO PASSPORT | ||
| GREENGUARD Gold |