There's a concept around latex printing that I want to discuss, because I'm going to use
it over and over again in all of these videos.
I'm going to keep repeating a mantra.
It's the core three pillars of how to print successfully with all Latex printers, no matter
the industrial Latex, all the way down to the smallest one.
And it is speed, temperature, ink load.
Speed, temperature, ink load; that is the balance for all successful latex printing.
I'm going to mention a lot of different contexts because the more you understand the idea – when
you adjust speed, you adjust temperature, you adjust ink load – they have to be in
a harmony with one another, a balance.
And that equilibrium, that's the perfect latex print.
Because if you have those balanced out, you're going to be successful no matter what media
you put on the printer.
As a general rule, I can print on almost anything on a three-inch core.
There's not much I can't print on.
But each material has its own unique temperature, it has its own unique speed as a result of
that temperature, and then it has its own ink load signature as a basis from that temperature.
And all medias react differently to temperature.
So, if you understand that relationship, you can apply it in every case and be successful.
So, I wanted to introduce the concept because I'm going to go over it quite a bit.
Speed.
Speed is passes.
Simple as that.
For this particular 360 four pass, for me, is as fast as I run.
Two pass has some very limited value, but for the most part, I start at four pass.
Four pass on a 360, with things like certain scrim banners.
And that is a viable print speed.
That is the fastest the printer goes; four pass.
As you go to six pass and eight pass and 10 pass, what's happening is,
your speed is slowing down a little bit.
It gets a little slower with every pass mode.
Now, the printer is 1200 dpi, 12 picolitre drop, all pass modes, which is fantastic.
It means you're not changing resolutions as you're changing speed.
The speed is one variable to successful Latex printing.
The second is temperature.
Every media has a thermal signature.
Some medias, even though they're heavy, might have a very low thermal signature.
You know, for example, at a hundred and 84 degrees, synthetic paper starts to warp.
So, you have to keep the temperature below that thermal deformation point or it's never
going to be successful.
So, everything you do has to revolve around, say, a hundred and 75 degrees Fahrenheit.
Now, if that's true, you're going to have to adjust your speed correspondingly.
The speed, then, is going to be slower.
Your dwell time is increased to compensate for this temperature-sensitive media.
And then, if you know your speed – excuse me – if you know your temperature, and then
you're mostly guessing your speed, let's say 16 pass,
now all that remains is how much ink can you put down.
You can't change the temperature.
The media will only take so much.
Now, some medias will take almost unlimited amounts of temperature, like certain scrim
banners, or fabrics; certainly a lot more temperature than this printer can deliver.
This printer tops out at two hundred and 41 degrees Fahrenheit.
But some medias you can run, and you can run them very successfully,
but you have to keep that temperature down to do it.
And if the temperature is lower, generally you're going to have a slower pass mode, or,
say, 12 pass, and then you're going to put down as much ink as you can put down
with those two known variables.
It's really simple.
And the printer is designed to walk you through that speed, temperature, ink load, in the
easiest way of any printer that's ever been manufactured.
We have a simple and elegant way.
I have a video on it.
It goes through the steps.
In the first step, your very first step, is a calibration chart that determines at this
temperature, at this speed, how much ink can you put down.
It's elegant.
It's easy.
We're going to go over it next.
I'll show it to you.
I'll explain what the different points mean.
And you can do it on all of the Latex printers.
So, that is speed, temperature, and ink load.
Again and again I'm going to refer to it.
The more you understand it, the better you'll understand how to print on Latex printers.
And then you'll be able to print in just about anything on a three-inch core.