FAQs
How can I increase the ink holdout of the liner I am printing?
One of the easiest ways to increase holdout is to change your substrate. If you are printing on white-top liner, you can switch to a higher holdout white-top liner or a bleached liner. If you are printing on bleached liner, you can switch to a higher holdout bleached liner or a lightly coated liner.
Ink viscosity also plays a large part in liner absorption and can affect holdout. The higher the amount of solids (resin) and the lower the amount of water that is in the ink formulation, the less ink will absorb into the substrate. Another option to consider is adding surfactants to the ink to change the ink’s surface tension. This will allow for a smoother lay-down. Be careful when adding surfactants, however. If the first ink that is laid down contains surfactants, it is often difficult to trap over.
There are also coatings or varnishes that you can purchase from your ink supplier that seal the sheet prior to printing, thus providing more gloss or holdout. The use of coatings or varnish may require running the job in two passes to allow the coating to completely dry before printing over it.
