Printing solution

Hello Guest ,

Offset is one way to print on PVC , but requires high quantity for no of copies , for the cost of developing positives is high for single or low quantity is high .you can look for cheaper A3 size digital printer using eco-solvent , mild solvent , UV curable inks that can directly print in 4 colors for proofing and low quantity requirements , also they utilise flat bed structure where media thickness is not an issue , you can print on rigid sustrate also , consider 4 color screen , 4 color offset digital machine they are expensive.

Hi Guest,

I have been in print engineering for years and it is my opinion from that experience that offset will not work on pvc sheet for several reasons.

1) offset machines are based on the cylinder printing machine principle which means that your need to be able to feed the sheet consistently and keep it in register. This is not possible on any of the machines I have seen that print offset on paper, envelopes or card.

2) due to the chemical principle of offset printing, the inks are oil based or rubber based or a hybrid between the two. These inks do not dry very well and need a high level of absorbtion by the medium you print on. Unless you add special curing additives, like cobalt driers, you will find that the ink is wet and will smudge for a long period of time. Too much cobalt driers and the principle of offset starts to play up.

I think you need to look at ink jetting with very fast drying inks based on nasty solvents. Try looking at http://www.incadigital.com/

They print on materials that you pointed out for posters and advertising media.

http://www.domino-printing.com/uk/

This is another company that provides printing solutions for stand alone units.

I have worked with these and they can print on almost anything.

Hello case491,

I think guest has got it , this is regarding the site you have adviced and you have worked on , now question is , what kind of technology they incorporate like thermal transfers , inkjetting ,dyesublimations , this interest me lot as i am working on presently and looking for new solutions for my clients . Also are they durable in extensive hazardeous environment , can they print on glass with that durablity , i too have worked with UV curable inks and they tend to crack after few months and chipping and chalking occurs specially on glass surface , are there any pre and post treatment you practised during your workouts on such machine , kindly let me know if you please.....Thank you

vikas

the domino has a unit called ink jet array which uses inks with nast solvents. It is very volatile and highly flamable which makes it very dangerous and unhealthy unless you use the right procedures. It can print on virtually any media but you will need to talk to them as my info is a few years old and you know as well as I do that in these fields the technology goes ever faster. We printed on everything from paper, card, celulose foil through to polywrap and pvc. All with the same ink and all at speeds of about 10000 pieces per hour. In this time it would be dry to the touch and could be stacked in boxes without any smudging within 1 or 2 seconds.

The inca printers are much bigger as they make the whole machines to do masive boards in one go. They also use inkjet but probably in a different format as they can do full colour. (the jet array only does monochrome or at least it did when I worked with it. The garbled dates on the necks of bottles are often done with this device.) Inca uses systems that are very similar to your desktop printer but now bigger, more colours, and faster. All while keeping colour to colour registration. I have never worked with these myself but once came very close to being poached by these people. A guy I worked with went there and a year after he contacted me as he wanted me to work for him in the development department.

Use the links I posted and contact them direct, They will not know me as my contacts where deeper within the organisations and again, some years old now.

Good luck,

Kees

Silk screen printing is the way to go for PVC.

We print on it here regularly and cure it with UV light.

M&R Make a good press for this and so does Sakurai. We use the Sakurai presses here but they are cylinder presses. What you probably need is a flatbed style press to get a good registration. However we do print materials as thisc as .040 thick and have had good luck with it. it does require a bit of talent and some special devices.

If i may ask what is it your trying to print it might be better to just farm it out.

See our website if you like and maybe we can give you a hand.