Water damage is rarely dramatic. More often it is a slow problem: a mural in a restaurant that gets wiped down every evening, a canvas in a bathroom, a wallpaper behind a coffee machine, or signage in an unheated warehouse where condensation forms each morning. Over time, moisture can cause inks to bleed, papers to cockle and surfaces to mark. The good news is that most of this is preventable.
How moisture affects prints
- Direct water: splashes, spills and damp cleaning can mark the surface or, with some inks, cause bleeding.
- Humidity: paper and canvas absorb moisture from the air and expand, which can lead to waviness, cockling and sagging canvases.
- Condensation: cold surfaces in warm rooms collect moisture, particularly on outside walls.
- Mould: persistent damp can encourage mould growth on the back or edges of prints.
Seal the print surface
A clear protective coating is the first line of defence. Colourjet is designed to protect artwork from water, chemicals and abrasion, so a coated print can generally be wiped clean and will shrug off the occasional splash. Landor Liquid Lamination makes prints better able to handle harsher environments, indoors or out, including wallpapers and signage. Bear in mind that a face coating protects the printed surface; it does not make the media itself waterproof from the back or edges, so the way the print is installed still matters.
Because solvent coatings do not suit every ink and substrate, coat a test piece first and check it once dry by wiping it with a damp cloth.
Installation choices
- Check walls are dry before installing wallcoverings or self-adhesive fabric. Freshly plastered or damp walls cause problems for any graphic.
- Leave a small air gap behind framed and stretched work hung on outside walls, using spacers or bumpers.
- Avoid placing prints where water will run down them, such as directly behind sinks or under windows prone to condensation.
- For outdoor graphics, choose media and inks intended for exterior use and protect exposed edges.
Humid spaces
Kitchens, bathrooms, leisure centres and changing rooms are demanding. Coated, wipeable prints are a sensible starting point, and synthetic or fabric media often cope better than paper. Phototex, a printable self-adhesive woven fabric, is easy to install without specialist installers and can be removed in one piece, which suits spaces that are refreshed often. Let your client know that good ventilation in the room helps any print last longer.
Storage before and after printing
Moisture problems can start before printing. Media stored in a damp unit can absorb moisture, which affects print quality and drying. Keep media in its packaging until needed, off the floor and away from outside walls. Finished prints waiting for collection should be stored flat or loosely rolled in a dry place.
To see where coated prints are being used in damp or busy spaces, visit our applications page, and find coatings on the products page.
Got a job heading somewhere damp? Talk it through with us on 01252 624 411 or via the contact page before you print.