Double Sided Banners Stiacking to Roll?

[cardsin2005]

I was wondering if anyone out there knows of a way to make solvent printed double sided banners (or single sided for that matter) not stick to the roll after being printed. Mine seem to stick really bad when I do flood prints. Thanks for the help!

 

[Ken1f]

How long are you letting the first side dry before printing the second? I let the first side dry overnight.

 

[johnnysigns]

heat settings? length of dry times? how are you drying these?

 

[cardsin2005]

We are letting the banners dry a full 24 hours at least. As for heat we currently have the platens turned off. Considering using corn starch or some other powder to prevent the material from sticking.

 

[StopSignGraphics]

Don't use corn starch or powder. They tried that at my old job and it made a huge mess out of the banners. The entire job had to be reprinted.

Not having the platen heaters on is causing your problem in my opinion. Try printing it with the heaters on.

I sometimes will place a fan in front the printer if I have really heavy coverage. It seems to help

 

[javila]

How big are the banners? We put low tack transfer tape on smaller banners when printing double sided.

 

[cardsin2005]

The banners are 30 x 60 but we have 36 to do. That is a good idea Javila but for a run this big I don't know if my boss would want to spend that much on transfer tape. We have a large box fan in font printer already it is helping, but I think we will still have a bit of sticking.

 

[Slamdunkpro]

We are letting the banners dry a full 24 hours at least. As for heat we currently have the platens turned off. Considering using corn starch or some other powder to prevent the material from sticking.

24 hours then flipping and printing the second side then waiting another 24 before rolling? What weight banner material are you using?

 

[cardsin2005]

We are printing them in batches of 10. So we print 10 and they are rolled up on the take-up real directly after printing then we let them sit for 24 hours before printing the back side. Hope this helps explain it.

 

[Slamdunkpro]

We are printing them in batches of 10. So we print 10 and they are rolled up on the take-up real directly after printing then we let them sit for 24 hours before printing the back side. Hope this helps explain it.

When is the transfer occurring? During this initial dry period? Transfer from the printed side to the unprinted side? Again, What banner material are you using?

Also what printer and what resolution are you printing them at? They may not be spending enough time on the dryer.

 

[cardsin2005]

Also we are using 13oz material.

 

[cardsin2005]

Sorry I didn't see that post. The transfer is happening once I unroll the second printed side from the first. After all the printing is done. Thanks for the help Slam.

 

[Slamdunkpro]

Best thing I can offer is don't use the take up reel when printing the second side. Let them spool out onto the floor (you'll have to pull them out so the vinyl doesn't lay on top of itself) and hand cut every couple off the roll, then hang them to fully cure.

 

[zigns62]

Just did a 12' D/S banner for a client and placed a fan to help dry, Started printing that am and delivered that pm.

 

[Letterbox Mike]

Your heaters are off, that's why you're having the problem. Solvent ink has to have ink to work right, otherwise it's just sitting on top of the media and not soaking in. I'm not surprised in the slightest that you're having the problem if you're not using any heat.

You didn't mention what printer you're running but assuming it has a pre, print and post heater, you should be somewhere around 42/40/50 for heat on most banners. Sometimes you may need to turn down the pre and print heaters but the post heater should be on full blast. Without heat the material isn't softening, the pores aren't opening and the ink is sitting on the surface. No matter how long you let them cure, there's only minimal ink adhesion to the media, so when it comes in contact with still uncured ink, that ink is softening the "cured" ink and releasing it from the media.

Heat, heat, heat.

Why are they turned off?

 

[cardsin2005]

Thanks for the suggestions. I think the second batch will turn out better because of the box fan we have on them now.

 

[Letterbox Mike]

No they won't. Trust me, you need to turn your heaters on. Heat is a critical element to solvent printing, without it it does not work right. Solvent inks require heat to form a bond with the media. The only way you can get away with running less heat is if you're running a true full solvent printer like a Vutek, but even then heat is required. On anything short of that, be it Roland, Mimaki, Mutoh, Seiko, HP or whatever, no heat means no ink bond.

If you're not running heat because the media is tunneling or buckling under it, that's a sign you need to either adjust the heat down, adjust the tension on the takeup reel, or use higher quality material. You said 13oz so I assume this is a 13oz super-smooth scrimless material (god I hope these banners aren't going outside if it is), that stuff can't take a ton of heat but it still needs some.

 

[J Hill Designs]

I run banners at 20/30/50 and they grab the ink just fine...never tried no heat, but I assume insig is completely correct

 

[cardsin2005]

Sorry I didn't refresh the page before making the last post and i didn't see your first post insignia I am using a Mimaki JV33. So if I have the post heater on should I not have a fan sitting in front of the printer drying the media? Should I have the heater on when I print the second side? I have my heater off because a Midwest Sign Supply Tech told me to try it after we had bad luck with a banner this winter. I really appreciate all the help guys, thanks again.

 

[StopSignGraphics]

The fan want hurt anything and it should help it dry a little. Your biggest problem is the heaters not being turned on.

Turn the heaters on.