You probably see materials produced by a solvent printer every day. Did you ever wonder why billboards don’t seem to fade in the glaring sun? Or why vinyl decals that advertise dog grooming on the side of trucks always looks like new? What about that bumper sticker that promotes your favorite candidate? You’ve had that on your car for a while now and it still looks perfect. The reason all of those materials can withstand being outdoors is because they were made using a printer that had solvent inks.
Instead of being colored with dyes, solvent inks are made with color pigments that are extremely resistant to fading. Solvent inks are great for printing on flexible solvent media (usually vinyl substrates) and can be used to produce window decals, banners, billboards and other printed material that can be in the sun. Not only are materials produced by a solvent printer fade-resistant, but they also tend to be waterproof. Inks that rely on dyes are usually water-based, which means that they will run or bleed if they get wet, but solvent-based inks are both sun-proof and rain-proof, which is why they are perfect for any outdoor signage.
At the same time, a printer that utilizes solvent ink does need to be used in a well-ventilated area, since solvent-based inks are extremely vaporous. There are mild solvent inks on the market that do not require so much ventilation, but they are not vapor-free like water-based inks. Nevertheless, these mild solvent inks have improved greatly over the last several years, and they are increasingly being used because they are inexpensive and provide bright, bold, vibrant colors.
A solvent printer is also a wide-format printer, meaning it can print large items such as banners, posters, billboard panels and the like. These printers have revolutionized the printing industry because it is now less costly to produce advertising and promotional material, and there is no longer a huge set-up fee like there was with offset printing. Now, once an image has been designed and digitized, it can simply be sent to the printer, and in a very short time, a finished product is available.
Items produced by a solvent printer are all around us. In fact, if you look around, you can probably see some right now. Colorful, waterproof and fade-resistant, solvent printing.
If you’re in need of a solvent printer, call CalComp Graphic Solutions. CalComp Graphic Solutions is the number one supplier of large-format digital solutions dedicated to providing advice, insight, knowledge, products and services. Whether you need products, services, on-site warranties or tech support on whatever you buy from us, rest easy knowing that you’re dealing with professionals you can trust. Call CalComp Graphic Solutions toll-free at 800.811.3274 or visit http://www.calcompgs.com/ for more information.
