"If I print in a controlled environment, will it make any difference?" This is a question I can get from every new pad printing equipment customer, and the answer is yes. Controlling your operating conditions every day can make your work easier.
Stenter's temperature and relative humidity
It is recommended to perform the actual printing process at least in an environment of at least 68 to 72 degrees Fahrenheit with a relative humidity of 55% and plus or minus 5%.
For best results, you want to keep all products, equipment, and consumable materials (especially machines, ink, pads, and metal plates) in a clean, climate-controlled environment. Like any printing process, pad printing is greatly affected by fluctuations in temperature and relative humidity. Extreme changes in temperature can cause condensation on the substrate, lead plates, and pads. This condensation is an obstacle to transfer efficiency in pad printing. High relative humidity has the same effect; low relative humidity increases the occurrence of static electricity.
In a perfect world, every printing machine can enter such an environment. Even better, everyone can store all their ink, mats, type and substrates in the same environment. The general printing company may not have so much control. In this case, you can only try to follow some general recommendations:
Keep your machine away from the outer wall, because the temperature of the outer wall will change more obviously during one day or four seasons.
Keep your Flat Screen Printing Machine away from direct sunlight, away from heat and/or turbulent airflow from air conditioning ducts and fans.
In a given shift, try to avoid humidity changes exceeding +/- 10 degrees Fahrenheit.
Try to keep your ink, pad, hardener, and thinner in the same temperature and humidity range as the temperature and humidity range you will print, or allow them to adapt to the production environment before use. This is also important for the product to be printed.
