Vinyl and ink will not dry.

[W. Fisher]

I bought a roll of adhesive=backed white vinyl from a sign shop. 48" wide and not cheap!

A year ago I printed on it fine with pigment ink. Yesterday, I tried a small piece and the ink refuses to dry on it even overnight. Still wet this AM and I can wipe it off with my finger.

I also tried running it through a dye ink printer with same result, ink will not dry and I can wipe it off a day later.

Does anyone know if the vinyl composition changes over time to where ink will not take? Expiration date? Something like what happens with some vinyls and rubberized plastics where the surface becomes sticky like my mouse.

Puzzled as to why the ink will not dry on it, but it sure can dry well on other things and even the print head itself.

Tia.

W.F.

 

[Ink stained Fingers]

Are you sure you got vinyl suitable for water based inks - dye or pigment ? Vinyl for solvent inks etc is different, and that just acts as you describe - water based inks won't adhere , you can wipe them off

 

[W. Fisher]

ISF, it was from a sign shop who used pigment inks on it, and it did work a year ago when I used it too. This stuff must change over time, and maybe the plastics in it alter so it will not accept the ink.

That's why I asked if it anyone knows if vinyl has an expiration date (They cut it from their stock out of a box.) and spoils. Maybe if it's old stock, its receptor layer loses it's ability to take ink right? Sort of like when one prints on the wrong side of "Pictorico White Gloss Film" (I've done that too, and it's a puddling mess of ink!). I dunno, but the image is sharp on the vinyl and not a puddling mess as with the Pictorico film printed on the wrong side, just it refuses to dry on the vinyl.

Very odd as to why the ink sits on it and doesn't dry at all. If I use a heavy ink load it puddles and bubbles, but it never does dry as it did a year ago using same printer and ink set. I can even blow it it across the surface a day later. I reduced the ink load by 50% and got very small bubbles of the fainter image, but it still is wet and won't dry.

Very puzzling!

W.F.

 

[Ink stained Fingers]

I can even blow it it across the surface a day later.

Please make a photo shot of that effect for the next 'picture of the week - POW'.....

I would assume in this case that some solvent in the glue migrated through the film to the ink receptive side and spoiled it. That would be something you just cannot fix anymore.

Better PE type photo papers are sandwiched between very thin layers of PE film, and the front side gets the ink receptive coating on top of it. This PE foil is a barrier for the ink solvent to get into the paper base and prevents any irregular warping of it. The back side just gives you the PE film surface which is not taking any ink at all

 

[W. Fisher]

ISF, that sounds plausible. The vinyl (PVC?) is very thin so it might be it has no barrier for the adhesive solvent and maybe that affected the surface receptor layer over time. Need to go find some more, maybe an artist's shop as the sign shop stuff is too expensive and only comes in large rolls. I think it says Alkor on the back of it, a letter A in a circle.

Really annoying why it spoiled or the receptor layer went bad for the cost of it. Something like $80 for a 24x36 inch sheet.

W.F.

 

[Stuart21]

I bought a roll of adhesive=backed white vinyl from a sign shop. 48" wide and not cheap!

A year ago I printed on it fine with pigment ink. Yesterday, I tried a small piece and the ink refuses to dry on it even overnight. Still wet this AM and I can wipe it off with my finger.

I also tried running it through a dye ink printer with same result, ink will not dry and I can wipe it off a day later.

Does anyone know if the vinyl composition changes over time to where ink will not take? Expiration date? Something like what happens with some vinyls and rubberized plastics where the surface becomes sticky like my mouse.

Puzzled as to why the ink will not dry on it, but it sure can dry well on other things and even the print head itself.

Tia.

W.F.

I had this happen after I fitted a new CISS - the ecosolvent ink sucked the plasticiser out of the CISS tubes (PVC, I think), then it would not dry on ABS. Problem would go away slowly - then the tubes got hard, cracked, broke, ink everywhere ;-(

Have not had the problem since changing printer to Epson L1800 which uses ink tanks & PTFE or silicon tubes (not sure which) but they work well.