Printing with ILFORD BioMedia Display Film

ILFORD BioMedia Display Film is a universally compatible, environmentally-responsible product that uses the very latest coating technology to strike the perfect balance between maximising image quality and minimising environmental impact.

BioMedia Display Film requires lower than average heater settings thanks to the presence of its universal ILFORD coating. This eliminates the need for pre-heating the material, which ultimately results in energy savings.

As with all inkjet media, air pollutants and contaminants can affect the media to varying degrees. It is therefore recommended that media is stored within the original packaging when not in use.

The following guidelines help to ensure that optimum results are achieved with BioMedia Display Film. For the best results and to protect the image or graphic, it is recommended to use ILFORD BioMedia Laminates.

GUIDELINES FOR PRINTING ON LATEX PRINTERS

It is possible that some experimentation may be required with the heater settings, in order to find optimum conditions. The supplied printer profiles use temperatures that are typically required to dry and cure latex inks, however, it has been found that temperatures as low as 40°C (Drying) and 60°C (Curing) can give good results on BioMedia Display Film.

As with other heat sensitive media, overheating of the BioMedia product can lead to possible deformation of the material, so it is recommended that curing temperatures in excess of 80°C are avoided. In addition, where possible within the RIP driving the printer, the temperature by which the set points are exceeded during the warm up phase must be reduced to a value of no greater than 0 – 10°C, depending on the set points. Please contact your RIP supplier for further information, if necessary.

In order to avoid deformation of the media in the print zone during the heat up phase, it is recommended that the leading edge of the media be advanced from the print zone so that approximately 20 cm is protruding from the printer. It is highly recommended to use the re-reeling station, or some other method of tensioning the media as it exits the printer.

It is imperative to use the edge guides that are supplied with your printer.

GUIDELINES FOR PRINTING ON SOLVENT PRINTERS

ILFORD BioMedia Display Film works well on most solvent printers. However, in a very small number of cases when printing with modern eco-solvent inks, the product has been seen to crack in printed areas where there is high ink load. If this phenomenon is seen, reducing the heater temperatures, particularly the drying temperature, can eliminate it.

It is recommended that the temperatures are set low and increased, if necessary, in order to find a good balance between dry time and image cracking. A good starting point is Pre-heat (OFF), Print (35°C) and Dryer (45°C).

It is imperative to use the edge guides that are supplied with your printer.