Issue link: https://nbm.uberflip.com/i/1451370
36 • WRAPS • 2 0 2 2 G R A PH I C S - PR O.C O M T here are many important choices to be made when working on a large- format print job, and none may be as important as which ink to use. Among your choices, UV ink should be at the top of your list. Ultraviolet (UV) ink cures in- stantly when exposed to UV light, elimi- nating the need for solvents and absorp- tion time. The ability to immediately re- move the cured and ready prints speeds up production time, therefore reducing costs. When working with Mimaki UV cur- able inks, there are a few tips to keep in mind. First, properly load the inks and the chip card into the printer. For optimal ink coverage, download the specic prole for the material you are using to print. Load the media into the machine and laminate in a standard manner with a normal pres- sure commonly used. At this point, you will notice that UV inks have a slight texture to them. This means that with certain laminations, it will cause "silvering." This will go away on its own after a few days. There is a way to speed up this process with Mi- maki UV inks. To do so, increase the pressure of the roll on the laminators to the maximum. Next, raise the heat on the rollers to 140 F (60 C). Make sure the temperature of the roller is correct and even, from side to side, and run the material through the laminator one more time at a slightly slower speed. You will see that the "silver" is now gone, and you can safely begin the installation process. DETERMINING STRETCH Every ink platform behaves differently to stretch. To see how Mimaki UV inks be- have, begin with two pieces of cast digital print lm of the same length. Heat one piece and stretch it dramatically. Let it cool down to room temperature and measure to see how the piece has been stretched to around 100%. You will notice that some of the color is lighter, and in the darker areas, you might observe separa- tion of the ink layer, showing the white below it. Next, heat and stretch the second piece in a more normal manner, around 30%. You will see that the colors haven't changed and are still vibrant. At this point, you can go back to the rst piece that was overstretched, and if it's not touching the vehicle, hold it loosely and add heat. This will trigger the memory effect, and the ink layer will return to its original color, even if the inks have separated. REAL-WORLD VEHICLE APPLICA- TIONS USING UV INK UV inks are a great choice when work- ing with extremely recessed areas. To begin installation, remove the liner and bridge lm over the recessed area. Ap- ply heat to relax the lm. You will notice that the film won't glass out with Mi- maki ink and may look like it has ten- sion wrinkles. This is a simple property of UV ink, and the lm will install and perform as usual. Even on extreme re- cessed areas, the color holds up perfectly. Expert results can also be achieved when working on extreme compound curves like car mirrors. These areas can be wrapped entirely with cast lm using Mimaki UV ink. They will hold their color on both the outside and inside sections of the mirror without issue. UV inks will give the lm a very slight textured appearance; however, there is no need for concern. This does not affect cutting. You can cut the excess lm away as usual. A good tip to keep in mind is to add heat to the edge before sealing with a squeegee. When post-heating, avoid go- ing past the recommended temperatures set by the manufacturer, especially on plastic sections like mirrors and bum- pers. Doing so can cause the ink layer to separate. There is no chance to pick the material back up and self-heat it at this point in the installation process. So al- ways install the wrap lm in these areas as normal and stay within the appropri- ate heat window. This will reduce the memory, and Mimaki UV ink will look and hold up perfectly for the long term. To see these real-world examples as presented by Justin Pane from The Wrap Institute, please visit our You- Tube channel: https://www.youtube. com/user/MimakiUSAinc. S TO R Y A N D I M AG E S C O U R T E SY M I M A K I How-To / Tutorial UV INK LAMINATING AND INSTALL TIPS