Latex printing solved a problem that large format print had lived with for years: a print that is ready to install straight away, with no smell and no airing out.
Below we explain how the technology works, how it differs from solvent and lamp cured printing, where it performs best and what its limitations are.
How it works
Latex ink is mostly water, around 70 per cent of it, plus pigments and polymers. Once the ink is laid down, the print passes through a heating section: the water evaporates and the polymers merge into a flexible film that seals the pigment and binds it to the material.
The difference from solvent technology is fundamental. There the carrier of the colourant is a solvent that has to evaporate, and volatile organic compounds go into the air with it. In latex printing what evaporates is water.
Advantages
- No troublesome emissions. The carrier is water, so printing does not fill the workshop with solvent fumes.
- The print is ready at once. There is no airing out, which with solvent technology can take a day or more.
- No smell. This matters wherever the graphic goes into a room used by people: consulting rooms, classrooms or restaurants.
- A wide range of substrates. Films, banners, wallpapers, papers, textiles and mesh, including materials not specifically intended for solvent printing.
- A durable print. The polymer film protects the pigment against scratching, and the colours cope well with sunlight.
- Saturated colours and smooth transitions, which shows above all in photographs and gradients.
Limitations
The other side of the picture deserves an honest mention:
- Higher energy use. Evaporating the water and fusing the polymers takes heat, so the machine draws more power than a solvent one.
- Substrates sensitive to temperature. Materials that cannot take several dozen degrees call for reduced settings or a different technique.
- Ink cost can be higher per litre, although on short deadlines the lack of airing out makes up for it.
For very large runs of a single design intended for outdoor use, solvent technology is still sometimes cheaper. The choice follows the job, not the fashion.
Large format technologies compared
| Feature | Latex | Solvent | Lamp curing |
|---|---|---|---|
| Colourant carrier | water | solvent | lamp cured resin |
| Smell after printing | none | noticeable, needs airing out | negligible |
| Ready to install | immediately | after airing out | immediately |
| Flexibility of the print | high | high | limited, the layer can be stiff |
| Rigid substrates | no | no | yes |
Applications
- Outdoor advertising: banners, mesh, large format posters.
- Vehicle wrapping, where the flexibility of the print matters as it follows body swages.
- Wallpapers and interior decoration, including public buildings.
- Exhibition materials: walls, roll ups, display stands.
- Textiles: flags, fabric walls, decorative elements.
Because there is no smell and no emission, the technology works particularly well wherever the graphic goes into rooms occupied by people right after installation.
Durability
An unprotected latex print withstands several years of outdoor exposure, and lamination clearly extends that time and adds mechanical resistance. Durability does not depend on the print alone: the type of substrate, the compass direction, the angle of the sun and whether the graphic is washed all play a part.
What to prepare
- A file to scale, or with the scale clearly stated, together with the final size in metres.
- Resolution matched to viewing distance. A banner seen from a dozen metres does not need the density of a poster read close up.
- Bleeds and allowances suited to the way it will be installed: frame, batten, eyelets or pocket.
- Critical colours marked, if brand colours are involved.
You can check how your colours will behave once they move to printing inks in the CMYK simulation. For vehicle wrapping the wrap visualiser is useful as well, as it shows how the graphic sits on the bodywork.
Summary
Latex printing combines faithful reproduction with the absence of troublesome emissions, and the print is fit to install as soon as it leaves the machine. The price is higher energy use and limitations with heat sensitive substrates.
It is a good choice wherever the graphic goes indoors or the deadline is tight. For long outdoor runs it is worth comparing the cost with solvent technology.
Planning a large format print? Take a look at our offer of large format printing or vehicle wrapping. We will match the substrate and the protection to the place where the graphic has to work.
