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Written by Tom Greaves When working with solvent and eco-solvent printers, one of the most important — yet often overlooked — steps is outgassing. If your p...
Written by Tom Greaves
When working with solvent and eco-solvent printers, one of the most important — yet often overlooked — steps is outgassing. If your printed vinyl ever lifts in recesses, curls at the edges, or fails prematurely, there’s a good chance outgassing is the culprit.
Outgassing (or “gassing off”) is the process of allowing solvent inks to fully evaporate from a printed media before lamination or installation.
During printing, solvent-based inks soften the vinyl and sit beneath the surface layer. If they are not given time to evaporate:
• The vinyl’s surface texture changes
• Adhesive performance is weakened
• The film becomes softer and less stable
• Long-term durability is compromised
This makes proper outgassing essential for professional, long-lasting results.
Solvent left inside the material creates a barrier between the adhesive and the substrate. The bond becomes weaker, especially when the film is stretched into recesses or exposed to heat. Think of it as trying to stick tape onto a slightly oily surface — it won’t bond as well.
Many print shops unintentionally trap solvents by:
• Rolling prints up too quickly
• Leaving them stacked in corners
• Not providing airflow
• Not allowing enough dry time based on ink load
Solvent is heavier than air, so prints need space and airflow to release it.
A helpful way to understand outgassing is to compare it to drying a wet T-shirt. It would dry faster with warm air, low humidity and good airflow. Vinyl behaves the same way. Warm, ventilated drying racks deliver the most consistent results — not a cold, stagnant corner of the workshop.
How to Determine Your Shop’s Correct Outgassing Time
Every print environment is different. Temperature, humidity, ink load and print speed all change dry times.
A simple testing method:
1. Print a solid black panel.
2. Let it outgas as you normally would for 24 hours.
3. Compare its smell and tack to an unprinted piece of the same media.
4. If they feel different, increase the drying time and test again.
Once the printed sample behaves like the unprinted one, you’ve found your ideal outgassing time.
What Happens If You Skip Proper Outgassing?
Incorrect outgassing is one of the biggest contributors to material failure.
Common symptoms include:
• Recess failures (lifting and bubbling)
• Delamination
• Edges shrinking or curling
• Reduced longevity of the installation
These issues are expensive to fix — but easy to avoid.
Outgassing isn’t a minor step; it’s a foundational part of producing high-quality printed graphics. With the right environment, a little airflow, and a shop-specific testing routine, you’ll avoid costly failures and ensure every installation performs the way it should.
