When inkjet films stick to the emulsion on the screen during the exposure process, the image rises off the film. This causes the film to have a "one-off" use. If you desire to use films more than once, you must address the issues causing the sticking.
Inkjet printers are non-photographic processes, unlike the old days of stat cameras, imagesetters and even thermal devices. Inkjets produce films by spraying ink to a surface layer and adhering to that surface. The process is less durable than a photographic process, it requires a little extra handling and understanding, and it will result in a film that offers repeatable use.
As with anything there is a right and wrong way to handle a situation. When we used stat cameras and imagesetters we had to develop, then fix the films, and finally dry them before use. When printing t-shirts you know the important difference between dried ink and cured ink. Cured is durable, dried is not. Well, inkjet ink curing is the same except they are air-dried and not force dried. Just like pudding, inks first get a top skin layer that seems dry to the touch, but below the surface it is still unstable. Only when the water in the ink has evaporated and only the dye residue is left behind, can it be considered cured. This is why it’s so important to test your prints, making sure you are not over applying ink onto your film and that the film you are using is correct for the style ink you are using (dye vs. pigment). This match is critical to your success. On that note, not all films are created equal, and some release their emulsion layer to the screen’s emulsion taking the ink with it. If you feel this is the case, then test another brand.
When the proper amount of ink is applied to the proper film it dries rapidly. Films should come out of a printer dry to the touch and after an hour or two they should be cured. Get on top of your work schedule and print films a day in advance. Then they will not only be more durable but denser as well. That is right, they will be darker and block UV light better. Density rises as the water in your dye based ink evaporates leaving behind only the dye.
Water and moisture reactivate water-based components. Add some heat and pressure and you have the making for a mini disaster. Your emulsion has water in it and so does your ink. Let’s say you print a film and rush it to expose a screen (never happens I know, but humor me here), lets also assume you coated your screens about an hour ago on a humid day or in the same room you wash out your screens in (again, that never happens, right?). The emulsion on the screen is still damp, the film is not cured, and you press them together on the vacuum table and flip on some HOT lamps. Bam! You will expose the screen, but there is a very small chance the film will survive this process.
Removal of water and giving your films time to cure will greatly increase your chances of producing archival films.
(c) Freehand Library Article / AccuRIP / Separation Studio NXT / Spot Process / Dmax / Amaze-Ink / DarkStar
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