Objective To investigate the preparation, characterization and determination of optimal formula of water-borne UV-curable inks. Methods The binder, pigments, deionized water and additives were dispersed evenly through high- speed dispersion method, then the water-borne UV-curable ink was prepared. The influence of the percentage of binder and the curing time on the adhesion of water-borne UV-curable ink, as well as the effects of the dosage of photoinitiator and the thickness of ink films on the speed of UV curing were discussed. Results The optimal percentage of binder was 60% ; the perfect curing time of ink film was 6 s; the first-rate dosage of photoinitiator was 2% ; the most suitable thickness of ink film was 10 microns; the comprehensive performance of waterborne UV-curable ink was the best when m ( binder ) : m ( pigment ) : m ( ethanol and water) : m ( photoinitiator) = 6 : 1 : 2. 8 : 0. 2. Conclusion This water-borne UV-curable ink with advantages of fast drying, no pollution and high printing quality, can be widely used in the packaging and printing industry.