Two shops can run the same file, the same media, the same ink, and still hand the customer two different prints. A wide format printer works inside its environment, not apart from it, and temperature and humidity change how ink lands, how it dries or cures, and how media moves through the machine.
While the environment plays a role, not all print issues originate from it. Printing involves the interaction of ink, printheads, media, heaters or curing systems, and substrates. The surrounding environment can affect that interaction. However, checking the production environment is a key troubleshooting step when a normally consistent process suddenly behaves differently.
Printing involves the interaction of ink, printheads, media, heaters or curing systems, and substrates. The surrounding environment can affect that interaction. Temperature can influence ink viscosity, drying behavior, and media flexibility. Humidity can affect moisture-sensitive materials and contribute to static electricity, particularly in dry environments.
Lower temperatures can change ink viscosity and affect the way some media moves through the printer. Materials stored in a significantly colder area may also need time to acclimate before production. For eco-solvent-based printing, temperature can influence evaporation and drying. If conditions fall outside the recommended operating range, operators may notice changes in drying or finishing behavior.
Cold conditions can also affect the flexibility and handling characteristics of some substrates. Before making adjustments to printer settings, check whether the equipment and media are operating within their specified environmental ranges.
Higher temperatures can accelerate evaporation in eco-solvent-based printing and change the behavior of some substrates. A large difference between the temperature of stored media and the production room can also affect how that material behaves during printing.
Humidity describes the amount of moisture in the air compared with the maximum amount the air can hold at a given temperature. In a print shop, changes in humidity can affect both media and static electricity.
Paper and textile materials can absorb moisture from the surrounding air. Changes in moisture content can alter the physical behavior of the material, potentially affecting feeding, tension, drying, or heat-transfer processes.
This is particularly relevant to dye-sublimation textile printing, where transfer paper and polyester-based textiles are part of the production process.
Dry air lets synthetic media hold a static charge, and charged media pulls airborne dust onto the surface in the seconds before the head passes over it. Cleaning the head will not clear the specks and pinholes that follow, because the dust is on the media, not in the nozzles.
Different printing technologies have different operating considerations. For MUTOH equipment, the following environmental ranges are useful guidelines for maintaining a stable production environment:
|
Printing Technology |
Recommended Temperature |
Recommended Humidity |
|
UV Printers |
68–89.6°F (20–32°C) |
40–60% |
|
Eco-Solvent Printers |
68–89.6°F (20–32°C) |
40-60% |
|
Dye-Sublimation Printers |
68–89°F (22–30°C) |
40–60% |
These ranges describe the printing area. Storage is a separate question, and media that spent a week outside these conditions arrives at the machine already changed, whatever the room reads on the day it prints.
An eco-solvent printer relies on evaporation and heat to dry ink, making it the most sensitive to room conditions. If prints stay tacky at the take-up roll or laminator, check temperature and humidity before increasing heater settings.
A UV flatbed printer cures ink with UV light, so humidity affects the ink less and the substrate more. Cold sheets and static can affect print quality, so let materials reach room temperature and clean them before printing.
With dye-sublimation printers, moisture affects the transfer paper more than the ink. Damp paper can ripple and cause patchy transfers, soft edges, and ghosting. Keep paper sealed until it’s ready to use.
Monitor Temperature and Humidity
Place a thermometer and hygrometer near the printer and media storage, not on the office wall. Doors, loading docks, and heaters can create different conditions. Recording temperature and humidity twice a day for a week can help identify recurring print-quality issues.
Store and Condition Media Properly
Avoid moving media directly from a substantially different storage environment into production and immediately starting a critical job. Follow the storage and conditioning recommendations provided by the media manufacturer.
Focus on Stability
Frequent environmental fluctuations can make print behavior harder to predict. Maintaining conditions within the recommended range provides a more consistent starting point for production and troubleshooting.
Print quality depends on more than the printer. Ink, printheads, media, substrates, machine settings, and the production environment all contribute to the finished result.
MUTOH offers printing systems across UV, eco-solvent, and dye-sublimation technologies, giving print businesses options for different production requirements.
Explore the UV/MP printer lineup, dye-sublimation printer lineup, and eco-solvent printer lineup to learn more.
Want to see what the right printing technology can produce for your application? Request a sample or find your nearest dealer to discuss your printing requirements.