Why the Correct Level of Humidity Is Crucial in a Print Room

A printing room is an environment that needs precise levels of humidity in order for the paper to print the way it should. Print rooms are used in many different industries. They are needed to print books, magazines, textbooks, instruction manuals, newspapers, and more. Low levels of humidity inside a print room can cause the paper to curl, crack, or not feed into the printers properly. But how can this problem be fixed during the dry winter months or when the HVAC system dries out the room in the summer? Enter Smart Fog. We create a commercial humidifier called the ES100 System that is fully automated and perfect for your print room. Read on to learn more about why humidity levels are so important in print rooms and how a humidifier can help.

Low Humidity’s Effect on Paper

The goal of a print room is to produce high quality prints with optimal operation and little downtime. Low humidity levels in a print room can affect all of these goals. A low level of humidity can lead to paper curling and light/faded prints. It can also affect the color of the prints. In addition, misfeeds can frequently occur. When the humidity is low, you will most likely waste a lot of time refeeding paper and reprinting things due to low quality. Not only does this waste time, it also wastes money. You will find yourself having to buy more paper, ink, and getting costly repairs done on the printers. Low humidity also causes an increase in static. If the humidity levels in the room drop below 35%, the levels of static will be enhanced. The static causes sheets of paper to stick together which then causes the machines to get jammed.   

Performance of Printing Press

The effect of low humidity on the paper will in turn affect the printing press. From static to web breaks and paper curls, all of these issues will cause a decrease in performance of the printing press. Over time, the printing press will need more repairs and have an overall shorter lifespan.  

Why Smart Fog?

Humidity levels in a print press are an issue all year long. In the winter, humidity levels inside the print room can be as low as 10%. In the summer, the HVAC unit can dry out the air as well. In a print room, the goal is for the humidity levels to stay between 50 and 60%. How can this be done? At Smart Fog we sell commercial humidifiers that provide environments with intelligent, precise humidity control. Each humidifier contains a CPCL controller which is equipped with our algorithms that determine the most efficient way to generate the required level of humidity. With our humidifier, your print room will stay between that 50-60% humidity level even on the driest of winter days. In addition to providing a simple way to maintain humidity levels. Smart Fog systems have many other important benefits as well. Here are a few:

• Non-Wetting Technology – Did you know that Smart Fog humidifiers produce the smallest water droplets in the industry? At 4.2 microns, these water droplets are dispensed in the air and then completely evaporated before ever reaching any surface. This is crucial in a print room. Your paper cannot become wet; otherwise it is ruined. Also, your printers cannot become wet because they will get damaged as well. Thus, our non-wetting technology is important.
• Double Cooling Effect – With all the machinery in a print room, it can become very warm. Smart Fog humidifiers come with the optional features of nozzles that create a strong vacuum effect which cools the air and the water. No matter the temperature in the room, the output temperature of the moisture is 40 degrees.
• Reduces Dust, Mold, Bacteria, and Viruses – You don’t want any of these 4 things in your print room. Dust, mold, and bacteria can ruin paper and also hurt printing machinery. Viruses can harm the employees who work inside the print room. There are a lot of surfaces that many different employees touch inside a print room. Rest assured that the humidifier is helping reduce the viruses, thus making it safer for employees to be around these high-touch areas.

Consult a Humidity Expert  

The ES100 Commercial Humidifier System

Smart Fog has many different types of humidifiers in order to cater to different industries. The ES100 System is perfect for a print room. In addition to eliminating dust, it also will help prevent static build-up. The system ensures no wetting of surfaces, keeping paper and print presses safe. The humidifier is a simple plug and play system that requires little maintenance as it has no moving parts. This humidifier eliminates paper-curl and cracking and reduces web-breaks and mis-registers. Overall, the humidifier will have a positive impact on print room productivity while also decreasing downtime and expenses. If you own a print room, don’t spend another moment throwing out poor quality prints or unjamming your machines after a curled piece of paper causes a jam. Invest in a Smart Fog commercial humidifier today. Our humidifiers will help keep your print room at the needed 50-60% levels of humidity. This will eliminate problems like paper curls, cracking, web-breaks, and mis-registers. It will increase the performance and lifespan of your printing press and keep your paper in the high-quality condition that was when it came out of the box. Our ES100 System is perfect for your print room. It produces micron droplets that will leave every surface in the room dry. In addition, dust, mold, bacteria, and viruses will be greatly reduced which is good for the paper and print press and healthy for the employees. If you are struggling with humidity levels in your print room, contact us today. We are excited to work with you and help make your print room the best environment that it can be. Our Direct Space Humidifier