Printing on vinyl

[pun_lavor]

How do you people deal with drying on vinyl material in sheetfed offset?
Chemistry is set to match the material and ink specifications, also fast drying inks are used.
Small stacks are used during printing, climate within the production room is fine. Actually, everything seems to be fine.
Still, it happened for second time that the stock wouldn't drie even after 3 days.
At the end, we applied waterbased coating on the stock, and the problem was solved.

[pq man]

What type of ink are you using? It doe's take time to dry I have had it take up to a week.

[John Arneson]

Printing on vinyl is tricky business to say the least. I run 15pt. vinyl quite often and here are two of the tricks I have found to make the stuff dry for the cutter the next morning.
1. Allied Starfont fountain solution, it is made for vinyl .
2. Rewind your loads 20 min after they come out of the delivery. Loads no larger than 3in. Put some fans on the rewinded loads and leave them on till morning.


hope this helps

[pun_lavor]

Ink used: http://www.flintgrp.com/en/documents...ovaplast_e.pdf
Material used: http://www.europe.averygraphics.com/...l_en291205.pdf

A week of drying is unacceptable, since from all suppliers we got promises that if everything is set fine, 48 hours of drying is enough.
Not to mention, that the stock needs to be die cut.

[pun_lavor]

Printing on vinyl is tricky business to say the least. I run 15pt. vinyl quite often and here are two of the tricks I have found to make the stuff dry for the cutter the next morning.
1. Allied Starfont fountain solution, it is made for vinyl .
2. Rewind your loads 20 min after they come out of the delivery. Loads no larger than 3in. Put some fans on the rewinded loads and leave them on till morning.


hope this helps

We did rewind the stock every 2-3 hours after printing. We even spread it out through the warehouse.
However, these kind of silly methods make me think we're still in stone age.
I just want my stock dryed after 48 hours, since we did everything according to specifications.

[Bob Peterson]

pun_lavor

Printing on vinyl is unlike printing on an absorbent substrate, i.e. paper. There are several requirements that must be met to successfully print on this substrate.

The biggest culprits, that cause slow drying, I encounter out in the field when running on synthetic substrates are:

1.) Incorrect inks being used. Vinyl should be printed with a non-stay open, high solids/low VOC inks designed specifically for vinyl substrate. Standard quick setting stay open inks should Never be used.

2.) Improperly mixed fountain solution. Most shops that run alcohol free, that use a 2-step solution, tend to use entirely too much alcohol substitute. This substitute will retard (slow down) the drying of the ink. When running synthetic substrates, the mix should contain no more then 1 oz per gallon. If possible, it is best to use 5-10% isopropol alcohol. Alcohol will evaporate where as the alcohol substitute will not.

3.) Too much water being run. Water has no where to go on a synthetic substrate, it cannot evaporate, nor can it absorb into the substrate like it does on paper. This excessive water will retard the inks oxidation, especially if the solution is improperly mixed. I always recommend that an 1/8" scum line be run on these type of stocks.

My recommendation is to first insure that the above is being followed and to use a drying stimulator, at press time, like Grafo Drier or Hydro-Cure.

If I can ever be of any technical assistance please feel free to call me. U.S. Eastern Time (954) 587-0802

Regards,
Bob

[kyprinter]

We've had best results with VanSon Tough Tex ink with VanSon Liquid Colbalt drier added to fount solution. Be warned that this will need to be washed up soon after printing or you will have a heck of a time getting your rollers clean again. There are some colors (blues in particular) that are still slow to dry but for the most part this combination along with the small lift and other suggestions given would let us cut next day.

[REYES1377]

For the NON UV printer that is printing on synthetic stock, i heard of a company called Habitat. They have a ink and foutain solution package that is working very well.

[pun_lavor]

pun_lavor

Printing on vinyl is unlike printing on an absorbent substrate, i.e. paper. There are several requirements that must be met to successfully print on this substrate.

The biggest culprits, that cause slow drying, I encounter out in the field when running on synthetic substrates are:

1.) Incorrect inks being used. Vinyl should be printed with a non-stay open, high solids/low VOC inks designed specifically for vinyl substrate. Standard quick setting stay open inks should Never be used.

2.) Improperly mixed fountain solution. Most shops that run alcohol free, that use a 2-step solution, tend to use entirely too much alcohol substitute. This substitute will retard (slow down) the drying of the ink. When running synthetic substrates, the mix should contain no more then 1 oz per gallon. If possible, it is best to use 5-10% isopropol alcohol. Alcohol will evaporate where as the alcohol substitute will not.

3.) Too much water being run. Water has no where to go on a synthetic substrate, it cannot evaporate, nor can it absorb into the substrate like it does on paper. This excessive water will retard the inks oxidation, especially if the solution is improperly mixed. I always recommend that an 1/8" scum line be run on these type of stocks.

My recommendation is to first insure that the above is being followed and to use a drying stimulator, at press time, like Grafo Drier or Hydro-Cure.

If I can ever be of any technical assistance please feel free to call me. U.S. Eastern Time (954) 587-0802

Regards,
Bob

Bob,

thank you for answering.

1) The proper ink was used. I've posted a link with inks specification and requirements that need to be met before and during printing according to ink producer.
2) We are using isopropyl alcohol on our presses. During this job, we had 12% in dampening solution.
3) To much water was not used.

[pun_lavor]

For the NON UV printer that is printing on synthetic stock, i heard of a company called Habitat. They have a ink and foutain solution package that is working very well.

I've checked out what they offer. Seems quite interesting especially with the "stink free" part.
Would like to try it, although I doubt they sell in EU.