Aqueous Inkjet

Handling, printing and storing of inkjet media

It is advisable to wear cotton gloves to prevent fingerprints caused by moisture, dirt or grease, from marking the media. Inkjet media is always presented to you with the print side facing out. Inkjet media should be stored in its original box until required and repackaged after use using the plastic bag and core plugs.

Laminating inkjet media

Lamination times will increase in more humid, still and colder conditions and when using lamination films with lesser adhesive formulations. Most manufacturers will generally recommend leaving prints a full 24 hours prior to lamination, reducing to 4 hours in the most suitable conditions. The main problems caused when laminating prints too quickly is the lack of adhesive bond to the still tacky inks.

Pop-up / pull-up inkjet media

For these demanding applications we have many laminates, TV3-60, TV5-70 and TV10-30. TV3-60 has an 80µ thick scratch and scuff resistant PVC face film and is primarily for pull-up stands. TV5-70 has a thicker scratch and scuff resistant PVC face film at 125µ and can be used on pull-up stands or pop-up displays. TV10-30 is the thickest and most rigid laminate in our range. It has a 250µ thick scratch and scuff resistant rigid PVC face film and is for the main pop-up panels.
The laminates should be run using minimum tension, especially on the TV3-60 and TV5-70 to avoid stretching and distortion.
The trimmed panels must be left laying flat for as long as possible, at least 1 hour and ideally for 24 hours. This is to allow the adhesive to fully cure. The reverse side of the printed panels can be cleaned with our RAPIDPREP cleaning fluid. Other more aggressive cleaners may damage some of the stop-light backers. The finished panels should be wrapped carefully to avoid damage to the edges, with the image ALWAYS wound face out. The panels should be allowed to fill the space in the wheeled pop up carrier. Tight winding should be avoided at all times.

Water resistant inkjet media

We feature a selection of Water Resistant media in the price list including our W.A.R. (Weather and Abrasion Resistant) range. Dirt cannot be cleaned from the surface of these types of products unless the sign has been laminated. As a general rule however, lamination is not required on these types of products, but will help to protect the surface against dirt, abrasion, UV light and will increase the life of the sign. To obtain a high degree of water resistance, pigmented inks must be used. Overinking the image can have a detrimental effect on the water fastness of the sign so as a rule of thumb; ink levels should be restricted to around 250%. Prints must be allowed to dry for 12 to 24 hours prior to external application. More specific recommendations are found in the price list by the relevant product.