Media Quality Issues Since COVID

[ThuddNugget]

A great deal of our go-to media from 3M, Avery and Palight have been fraught with quality issues since the world broke and it doesn't seem to be improving. We print UV inks with our Oce Arizonas and have been having artifacts that are obviously from manufacturing issues. We need to put our 3M IJ8150 prints on the flatbed because the entire length of the roll is stretched out down the middle and it wont lay flat across the platen. Our Avery SF-100 has a repeating blotch that shows up every 13 inches that is invisible to the eye.... until you print on it. Our Palight panels aren't cut square and typically arrive with all kinds of beat up edges and scrapes across the face.

To the manufacturers credit, they are willing to replace the defective media. But honestly, its already too late when the defective stuff arrives on our loading dock.

Is anyone else having these issues?

 

[MNT_Printhead]

I use a lot of Avery stuff and haven't had any issues.

 

[ThuddNugget]

What printer(s)/ink are you using with the Avery, if you don't mind me asking?

 

[MNT_Printhead]

HP 360 and 365, I don't like them.

 

[Dasdesignguy]

Get used to it. If you think the supply chain is bad now, wait another three months.

 

[Eforcer]

A great deal of our go-to media from 3M, Avery and Palight have been fraught with quality issues since the world broke and it doesn't seem to be improving. We print UV inks with our Oce Arizonas and have been having artifacts that are obviously from manufacturing issues. We need to put our 3M IJ8150 prints on the flatbed because the entire length of the roll is stretched out down the middle and it wont lay flat across the platen. Our Avery SF-100 has a repeating blotch that shows up every 13 inches that is invisible to the eye.... until you print on it. Our Palight panels aren't cut square and typically arrive with all kinds of beat up edges and scrapes across the face.

To the manufacturers credit, they are willing to replace the defective media. But honestly, its already too late when the defective stuff arrives on our loading dock.

Is anyone else having these issues?

We been having issues with blotching on Durabanner (New media). We had 14 banners to print & like yours, you can't see the imperfections till after you print. Of course shows more with a solid background. WE thought maybe it's our machine, but used another roll and printed clean. I'm thinking these rolls were rushed through production.

 

[DeadDoc]

We ditched our gloss SA Vinyl due to plasticizers on the surface of multiple brand new rolls to us. Haven't really noticed much issues on other stocks other than being OOS and having to source new materials in.

 

[jfiscus]

We also have a lot of defects in materials. We primarily print on 3M 180c-10 (unless 3m is out and we have to switch to Avery temporarily), and have a lot of damaged media and imperfections in the media. We have been using a lot of the SSU (non-latex) materials due to availability and the print quality of it is pretty bad compared to the regular 180c. Looks like a "house brand vinyl" instead of premium, and they can't even give you your contract price for it.