Introduction:

 

Adex s.r.l. produces and supply electrostatic products top quality. With this leaflet, we would like to give our clients, same suggestions and tips to achieve the better equilibrium for a proper standard in terms of quality for the electrostatic films produced by us. We know that, the different technologies on the market, has its own level of specific parameter in terms of regulation. Due to this specificity, we cannot suggest “one” valid solution to each end users. What we mean is that, per homogenous technologies (like Solvent technology), the different producers make different choices for materials and instruments to manage the same process. This makes our task to supply standard information for the entire market of printers, hard for us.

 

Common features for ours materials.

 

• Our electrostatic materials does not need any particular treatment before being printed. Our products are based on “PVC WITH NO PHTHALAT”. They respects the entire rules for these materials and respects the rules for recycling.

 

• The quality controls are done during the ending phases of our cycle of production. The products, has to respect the superficial tension value of no less than 32 DIN, even if, our products, goes easily over this value.

 

• Our materials are produced in patrolled lots. Each phase of production is done internally at our plant. Each production has its report references, so to make us able to verify the data, for each specific production.

 

• The constant parameter of production, permit us to produce the materials with the original features settle during the process of internal homologation.

 

• When the material is received, be careful to keep in yours warehouse with adequate care. Keep the temperature within of 30 degrees Celsius its recommended.

 

• We recommend stocking our material properly, that means, not to stock one pallet on one another for the sheet. The reels, has to be kept vertically, so to avoid the weight to push on the flat surface of the film.

 

• The best results in terms of printing quality, was obtained by us, within a period of 8 / 9 months from the date of production for the Series 100, and within a period of 3 / 4 months from the date of production for the Series 300. A proper storage with controlled value of temperature and humidity its always recommended.

 

• The shelf limits of our products (if not printed) are very long.

 

• Our product are completely recyclable. Trims bleed, and each part has to be recycled following the actual rules in your country. For instance, (unless different local rules), the PVC has to be recycled with same specific of plastic PVC bottles.

 

 

Ink-Jet Printing

 

We gather with the definition “Ink-Jet printing”, 3 method of printing that, can give excellent printing results on our materials.

 

• Solvent Printing / Eco-Solvent Printing / Latex printing.

 

• Digital printing machines Solvent / Eco-Solvent / Latex, has to be approved by the producer for cling material. Verify on the printing machine manual, you can run the printing with electrostatic plastic surfaces. If necessary, adjust the loading, the roll feeder equipment, the vacuum pump, the distance from the writing head and the plastic material and in case, even the “color profile” for the ink drop.

• Bleed and trims. We suggest keeping, at least 5 mm. bleed on the 4 sides of the sheet.

• Inks. We recommend using, only “official” inks. The Ink-jet printing machine producers, (for example Epson), gives you the best ink choice to achieve the proper result on plastic surfaces. The “nonofficial” inks, gave us bad printing results. For example: excessive oxidation on surface or a dull result; Low power adhesion or uncomplete dry result. For these and other reasons, we recommend using only “official” inks.

 

• Writing inks heads, Keep a higher distance between the head and the material in comparison with paper surfaces. Verify the drop ink quality, not to be too spread. Adjust accordingly to the machine set up manual.

• Fix accurately the cling material to the cylinder feed. The thickness of our material is higher than a standard banner or a vinyl.

• Adjust the temperature of your printing equipment as per the indication on your set up printing manual. This depend even on the technology the machines apply. For instance, the technology with Solvent or Eco-Solvent, has a lower temperature in comparison to the Latex ones.

• The flat sheet plotter needs to be regulate on the higher vacuum level.

• For the grounds indicate above and other else, we start to cooperate with the most of the Ink-Jet printing machine producers and writing heads producers. Now, we can supply “colour profiles” for a lot of Ink-Jet printing machines. Please register your company and equipment to receive the solution you need.

 

 

 

Offset Printing

 

We gather with the definition “Offset printing”, 3 method of printing that, can give excellent printing results on our materials.

 

• Offset U.V. Printing / Offset H-UV Printing / Offset H-UV led printing.

 

• Cylinder size. Given to the dimension of your cylinder (big or little size), we suggest you to analyze the draw straight parameter. A cylinder with a big diameter, has a larger “cover surface” on the printing sheet. This draw straight, plus the dense inks or small quantity of wetting solutions, or more else the low temperature of the storage and printing areas, could cause “the “delamination” of our products. Is so, we suggest you, to print with our cling films with the lighter liner paper (135 gsm.). The lighter liner give the cling material more flexibility, so less delicate to the draw straight. The printing machine with little cylinder, does not need particular adjustments. For those printing machine, can be used even our products with the 200 liner paper.

• The printing machines U.V. / H-U.V. / H-U.V. LED has to be equipped with anti-static bars. Verify on the printing machine manual, they are able to run the electrostatic plastic surfaces. If necessary, adjust the sheets feeder equipment, vacuum pump and clamp.

• Inks. On the market, a few inks producers can provide you good products for cling material surfaces. There is no need to give you a specific brand. Ask yours ink supplier to   guarantee a perfect compatibility with electrostatic cling. The main Inks producers has solution to satisfy the 3 type of printing technique.

• Wetting solution. Extremely important to verify the “Ph.” value.  Print our material with a “fresh”, or better to say “brand new” wetting solution. In case of foam emulsion, between ink and wetting solution, please verify the Ph value, or better, change it. Be sure to wash completely the whole wetting circuit. For more adjustment, refer to your ink supplier for a proper compatibility, and in case adjust the Ph value.

• Aluminum printing plate. We have no particular indication on this element. In case of printing with “Chrystal Raster” or better to say “Random dot”, please take in consideration to adjust your screen profile to lower from the middle tone value (around the 40%) up to maximum darkness (93-95%), but save the maximum value around 97-100% to keep the strongest of solid parts. This adjustment should prevent the excess of saturation.

• Blanket or Printing rubber. Usually, a soft blanket is preferable on the other ones even if the dot could be less sharp. Sometimes, due to the features of the job (solid background / photographic image / light texts) the choice could be different. Use a recent or better brand new blanket. Even in this case feel free to choose the blanket you prefer. We had the better printing result with Trelleborg UV-E blanket. Consult your supplier to find the best solution to satisfy the printing adjustment.

• Bleed and trims. We suggest leaving a 5 mm. bleed on the 4 sides of the sheet.

• Interdeck dyer / Drying lamps. Nowadays its quite common to find this equipment on the 3 type of printing technology. Not only at the end of the printing, but even between one color to one another. We suggest a “fine” regulation of the intensity of this equipment to avoid drying more than necessary. This is valid for the interdeck dryer and more else on the final drying equipment.

 

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Finishing:

 

Usually the soft PVC films are used as they are.

 

But our clients ask for more information about the limits of the use of our soft PVC films.

Here below several information gathered from out tests and from the experience of our printers.

 

 

Sealing Varnish on-line.

Sometimes, our materials are varnished on-line while printed. Usually with a sealing transparent or white varnish. In this way, the varnish is part of the printing process, and in most of cases it is well accepted by the film. Please check your inks varnish and wetting solution. They have to be compatible one whit the other and has to be certified for plastic. Use a fresh (1 or 2 days) wetting solution, or better a brand new one.

 

Varnish U.V. off line.

We had not homogeneous results. We do not want to suggest you to avoid this solution, but the result we had, goes on this direction.

Because few printers were able to get a sufficient result, we recommend in case you choose to use U.V. varnish off-line, to make tests before using it.

The type, and the quantity of U.V. varnish that goes on the Ink, as to be compatible and certified for the plastic films. If the varnish is not uniform and a foam emulsion appears, please stop immediately to use it.

Sometimes the inks under the U.V. varnish, cracks because of the different speed of getting dry (effect “cracking” or “crocodile”). Please verify with your ink supplier to use the correct product. Please regulate your ink keys the minimum quantity possible. Excessive quantity of U.V. varnish cause problems (the U.V. varnish cracks easily if the quantity is not at the minimum).

 

Lamination.

We strongly recommend not to laminate.  

 

Hot foil printing.

We strongly recommend not to print hot foil. Because of heating, (around 115 / 120° degrees Celsius) the soft PVC doesn’t stand these high temperatures. Take in consideration to print with sublimation “cold” foil, or with other technologies like PGI.

 

Embossing or D-bossing.

The plastic materials as a physical “memory”. If punched, the soft PVC, came to the original shape, and therefore we do not recommend embossing.

 

Laser cut.

Several equipment can cut soft PVC films. They need to adjust the length of the light wave, in order not to burn the PVC .Laser has to cut copy by copy. Do not stack in groups of copies unless the laser has to work with lot of power and can burn the edge of our material.