Inks in Large Format Printing

When printing a wide format job, there are several inks and printing processes that can be used depending on the nature of your project.

Solvent inks

Solvent printing was the first method used in Grand Format printing.  It has excellent performance and affordability but isn’t very eco-friendly; it requires special ventilation to avoid exposure to hazardous fumes from the toxic solvents.  It also requires some time for the ink to dry and fully cure.  Solvent inks produce a very durable, scratch-resistant product, perfect for indoors, or outdoor applications like banners or adhesive graphics.  At Graphics House, we use Solvent ink for all of our mesh banners.

UV inks

A newer method is UV printing, which uses special ink formulated with chemicals that instantly harden when exposed to ultraviolet light.  UV inks are more environmentally friendly; because the ink is immediately dried from the UV lamps, there are virtually no chemicals released into the air and print time is very fast.  UV Printing also uses less ink than other methods because there is very little evaporation and less absorption into the stock.  Another advantage to UV Printing is that UV inks can print onto almost any substrate that can fit through the printer, and the color is very resistant to fading.  UV ink is less conformable to media that stretches such as adhesive vinyl, as the ink will begin to crack if excessively stretched.  UV ink is exceptionally tough and durable, and does not need an over-laminate when being used outdoors the way that latex and solvent inks do.

Latex inks

Latex inks are the most eco-friendly option.  They are water-based, making them non-toxic and non-flammable.  Latex Printers use heat to rapidly cure the ink to the media.  The final print will be very durable, resistant to water, heat, and scratches. It’s also flexible, making it perfect for adhesive prints, outdoor signage, or vehicle wraps.  Latex printing produces high-quality prints with very vibrant color without the environmental hazards of solvent inks.

4 Preflight Steps to Take Before Sending Large Format Print Files to GH Imaging

Before sending a file to GH Companies to be printed, there are some steps you should take to ensure that your file can be used for printing. These simple steps help ensure your art will be printed the way you intended it to and will also help expedite the printing process of your job.

Convert all Fonts & Text to Outlines

This is very important because if you don’t, it can cause your fonts to crash when the file is opened and be replaced with a computer’s default font.  Creating outlines guarantees your art and text will look exactly as you intended them to look. This can be achieved in Adobe Illustrator by selecting Type > Convert to Outlines (CMD + SHIFT + O mac or CTRL + SHIFT + O pc) while all the live text is selected. This changes the text into vector shapes instead of type. It will no longer be editable.

Art is CMYK

Ensure that the color of every part of your art is in CMYK color mode.  If colors are in RGB they will have to be converted which can result in an undesired change in color. This can be determined in Adobe Illustrator by selecting File > Document Color Mode and ensuring CMYK Color is checked.

Convert Strokes to Outlines

If using strokes in your design, convert your strokes to outlines.  That way, if your image needs to be resized it will still look the way you intended. This can be done in Adobe Illustrator by selecting Object > Path > Outline Stroke.

Embed All Images  

This saves the images into your file, ensuring that the computer can find it.  If not, the computer will replace the image with a blank box. This can be achieved in Adobe Illustrator by selecting the "Embed" button at the top bar of the file while the image is selected.

These simple steps will ensure that we can use your file and print your design exactly as you envision it.