Practical Information: Production Procedures for
Solvent & Eco-Solvent Digitally Printed Graphics

06/15
Page 1 of 1

Storage and Processing Conditions
The self-adhesive products, ORACAL®, ORAJET ®, ORALITE®, ORAGUARD®, ORABOND®, and ORAMOUNT ® are supplied in rolls andshould, at all times, be stored suspended or standing on end with provided roll blocks. NEVER store material lying on it’s side. Materials
should be kept in a cool dry place protected from sunlight. For optimal product performance, relative air humidity should be between 50%
and 60% and temperature between 64°F and 72°F should be ensured. Avoid storing material in direct sunlight, or near excessive heat, likeradiators. Please observe the shelf life instructions contained in the technical data sheet available for each film at www.orafolamericas.com.
Printing the Graphic
Digital printing materials should be handled with utmost care. Lint-free gloves should be used to prevent surface damage. Check surface
quality before printing. Make sure the correct media profile is loaded for your job, based on your specific combination of media, ink, printerand RIP software. Each series of ORAJET® digital media requires different print and RIP software parameters because of the individual
qualities of each material. Check the Support section of the ORAFOL Americas website for a wide selection of FREE color profiles.
Don’t forget to match the digital media with the recommended laminate.
Laminating the Printed Graphic
Lamination of inkjet prints is recommended to ensure longer lifespan at optimum quality (gloss, color, resistance to physical damage).
ORAGUARD® laminate films enhance the desired appearance of the graphic (gloss, matte, semi-gloss). They also provide excellent
protection against fading from exposure to UV rays. ORAFOL Americas recommends allowing printed film to dry for at least 24 hours at70°F (48-72 hours prefered), before applying a laminate, to avoid delamination, graphic edge curling or adhesive failure. Note the following
considerations:••

24 hours of dry (outgas) time should be considered the minimum before applying lamination. (Prints with very little ink coverage
would fall into this category.)
If the print is heavy in ink saturation, (darker, rather than lighter) a longer outgas time of 48-72 hours is preferred for the print todry before lamination.

Troubleshooting Trimmed/Plotted Printed Graphics
Graphics that are trimmed or plotted directly through the ink within 24 hours after printing can begin to show signs of curling or shrinking
around the perimeter once applied to the substrate.
Why does this occur?
The freshly printed (uncured) solvents used in the inks to print the graphic are migrating around the cut line and irritating the perimeter of theadhesive layer. This in turn causes the edges of the material to curl up or shrink either on the release liner or once applied to the substrate.
What should I do to reduce the risk of edge curling?
In a well-ventilated area away from the print room, stand the roll on end and loosely unwind the material from around the core. There should
be adequate space between each wrap around the core for air to properly circulate. This will allow the solvent gasses to properly escapefrom the graphic.
DO NOT leave the graphic rolled up tightly around the core after printing. This will cause the solvent gasses in the inks to be
trapped and potentially migrate to the adhesive layer of the material, resulting in poor adhesion properties once applied to theintended substrate.
It is a good idea to allow a minimum of 24 hours at 70°F (48-72 hours preferred) for the inks to dry (outgas) before trimming or plotting
through the ink.
For questions not covered in this bulletin, please contact Orafol Americas Product Technical Support at 1-888-672-2251, ext.168 or 176, oremail techsupport-americas@orafol.com.
General Information
This information is based on our knowledge and experience. We have not explained all aspects of application. Specialized or occupational knowledge and competence of aprofessional sign maker are presupposed. Because of the diversity of potential influencing factors during application and use, we recommend customers test our products when thefilms will be used for special applications. No legally binding warranty of certain qualities can be derived from our information.

ORAFOL Americas - GA
1100 Oracal ParkwayBlack Creek, GA 31308
Toll Free | 888-672-2251

ORAFOL Americas - CT
120 Darling Drive
Avon, CT 06001
Toll Free | 800-654-7570

ORAFOL Canada
2831 Bristol Circle
Oakville, Ontario L6H 6X5Toll Free | 888-727-3374

techsupport-americas@orafol.com • www.ORAFOLAMERICAS.com