Preparing Print Media for Winter

Like most materials, print media will feel the impact of changes in temperature and humidity. In a new blog post, Kieran Blacknall, the UK Academy Manager at Drytac, offers several things to consider.

The initial tack level of a typical pressure-sensitive adhesive will drop significantly as temperatures approach freezing, he writes. This makes it much harder to bond two surfaces together successfully.

As temperatures drop, paper release liners can adsorb moisture, expand, and begin to curl, which in turn can create tunneling problems and cause head strikes as the material moves through the printer. In even colder temperatures, face films can gather condensation and become brittle and difficult to work with, impacting ink adhesion and overall print quality. In contrast, high temperatures can cause adhesives to soften and bleed, paper liners to dry out, and face films to expand and curl as they fight against the relative stability of the release liner.

There’s also the issue of storage. Print media should be kept in its original packaging, including plastic protective sleeve, suspended on the spool end caps, and kept off the floor to reduce the chances of any dampness rising through the media.

For even more cold weather tips, read the full blog here.