Printer manufacturers are migrating to a new direction in ink technology. Dubbed as the Latex Printing Technology, latex ink is water-based, odorless, solvent-free and eco-friendly just like latex house paints.
True to its word, Hewlett Packard’s Latex Printing Technology employed in the manufacture of its inkjet ink is pigmented, water-based and devised for use in large commercial and industrial applications. It is the ink of choice for the HP DesignJet L25500, HP Scitex LX600 and HP Scitex LX 800 inkjet printers designed for use in both indoor and outdoor super wide applications.
The innovative HP Latex Inks aqueous dispensed polymer or latex manifests print durability and display permanence for indoor signages and outdoor applications such as event banners and transit signage. HP Latex Inks have been specifically formulated to deal with problems concerning prints that are not resistive to the natural elements of heat and moisture, particularly for signages exposed to these elements for longer periods of time. This new inkjet ink from HP delivers vibrant and vivid images that last indefinitely, without being predisposed to fading images or peeling; as observed in other less pronounced ink technology systems.
Print images coming out of most ink based printers are usually not fully dried, so that copies are made to pass thorough a separate dryer to complete the curing process. This extra curing is necessary for the printed images to bond permanently with media; otherwise, smudges will appear and affect the visual quality of the print. However, HP guarantees that printed images coming out of its latex ink technology based color ink printers are already fully cured or dried. In fact, printed material exiting its thermal inkjet (DesignJet L25500) and wide scan (LX800 and LX600) printers pass through an internal radiant heater and forced airflow that allows fresh prints to cure and dry while still inside the printer.
Two basic print characteristics are handily crafted into the production of HP latex inks – durability and permanence. Durability is the tendency for print to resist smudge, scratch and water. These are characteristics necessary for signages indefinitely exposed to the outdoors. Meanwhile permanence refers to the ability of the print to stay vibrant and vivid for long periods of time without fading and peeling despite being subjected to extreme conditions of heat and moisture. HP further intimated that prints made by latex ink have an outdoors display permanence life of 3 years when not laminated and 5 years when laminated. Likewise, indoor display permanence can last 5 years when not laminated but is good over 10 years when laminated.
Of course, HP Latex Ink is only good to last if media used carries the same characteristics of durability and permanence as its ink supplies. Otherwise, HP Latex Printing Technology will not be as effective as it is devised to be.
0 comments:
Post a Comment