Drying Times - 12/14/2009

Often people forget how the change in seasons can affect the printing process, specifically the drying process. As the season changes and cold weather sets in (wow, did it really set in this last week!) I think it’s important for customers to understand how their projects will be affected. 
 
The offset printing process uses a few basic ingredients – ink, water, and paper. These ingredients, or the ingredients that make up these things, are continually changing. Simple things like the quality of our tap water can throw off a printing presses ink / water balance. Ink temperature (hot and cold) can also cause inconsistent print results. Additionally, varying acidic levels in paper will affect the print process.
 
So how does all this affect our customers and their jobs? It is reasonable to expect longer drying times after a job comes off the press during the winter due to lower temperatures and increased humidity. With a nice summer day, 80 degrees and low humidity, a 24-hour drying time is very reasonable. With a 35 degree wet winter day, a 48-hour drying time may be needed.
 
A few items to note about our processes:
 
 - We do not use tap water with any of our printing process - only distilled water. This gives us consistency everyday.
 
 - Our inks (soy based) are always kept at basic room temperature. A cold / stiff ink will not produce a sharp image and a hot / runny ink will not produce a sharp image.
 
A myths about the nature of drying on different stocks:
 
 - Coated stocks (glossy stocks) take longer to dry. This is not true! A coated paper allows ink to set on top of the paper, therefore not having the chemicals in the paper impede the drying process.
 
- Uncoated stocks dry quick due to the ink "soaking" in. This in usually not true! Due to ink soaking into uncoated papers (example: Cougar Opaque) and mixing with the chemicals in the ink, drying tends to be slower. If a stock has a high acidic level then drying can be very slow.
 
 
My next blog will focus on varnishes and aqueous coatings. These two “finishes” can not only improve the look and help protect your printed project, but can also be a useful way to get your job “out the door” when drying is an issue.
 
Stay tuned!!

First Entry / Calendars for 2010!

Thanks for checking out the new Lasko Printing blog.  My goal with the blog is to keep our customers up-to-date on what's going on here at Lasko Printing and provide useful information and useful tips relating to the printing industry.  As always, ideas and suggestions are always welcome!  Feel free to email me or call with comments.

As we approach a new year (yes, only 6 weeks left in 2009!), calendars are a hot topic.  Calendars often are costly and take a long time to produce due to the amount of work it takes in obtaining photos, setting up a monthly grid, proofing, etc.  This year we are offering 12 month calendars already filled with local metro area photos in two different sizes (I am especially happy to offer the small size of 5.25 x 7, which has been a huge hit in the past).  Customers will be able to add their logo with no additional charge and even supply a photo or photos for a small charge.  I feel this is a great solution for affordable, quick turn-around calendars with a nice custom & local feel.  See pricing information below and call me for a free sample calendar.

Again, thanks for checking out the new blog.  I will be adding information every two weeks. 

First Blog Entry coming (Monday) November 16th, 2009

Please check back this Monday for my first blog entry.