Adler: Durable protection for printed surfaces in outdoor areas

Digital printing technologies are now also conquering the outdoor area: not only signage and advertising spaces, but also front doors and garage doors, even entire façade elements are given a unique look. The coating structure requires excellent adhesion, permanent elasticity and extreme hardness in order to withstand weathering. In addition, the sensitive printing inks must be protected from UV radiation to counteract fading and discoloration. The Austrian coating manufacturer Adler, a founding member of the Digital Printing Association DIPA and an expert in coating structures for all aspects of (digital) printing, has the perfect product package for this: Print-Protect UV+ SQ from Adler gives printed surfaces the tools they need to meet all outdoor requirements. There is almost nothing that cannot be printed on. There is a wide range of inks and printing processes to choose from. The challenge for the coating structure lies precisely in this diversity, as it is important to provide a primer and top coat that guarantees adhesion and surface protection - on every substrate, for every ink and every area of application. The development team led by Dr. Simon Leimgruber in the development laboratory of Austrian coating manufacturer Adler has succeeded in squaring this circle: They have developed a water-based coating structure that can be used universally for numerous printed surfaces.

For optimum adhesion of the printing ink, even on smooth substrates and in difficult ambient conditions, it is advisable to pre-treat the surface with the 2K primer Adler Print-Primer SQ. Thanks to its inherent white color, the primer also supports an optimal, high-resolution print image. After printing, the surface is given its final protection with Adler Print-Protect UV+ SQ. This top coat is equipped with a high-quality light protection package: "Printing inks react extremely sensitively to UV radiation, while at the same time long-lasting protection is essential for large façade elements, for example, as they cannot be easily refurbished or renewed," explains Dr. Leimgruber. Adler Print-Protect UV+ SQ protects the printed image from fading and discoloration in the long term and ensures brilliant colors thanks to its high transparency. At the same time, the top coat also protects against mechanical stresses and chemicals such as cleaning agents, oils or petrol and remains elastic even when exposed to heavy weathering. Companies from a wide range of sectors, from sign manufacturers to producers of front doors or façade elements, are already using Adler's print coating structure. "We take a lot of time with every customer inquiry and carry out numerous tests in order to ultimately achieve a high-quality overall package consisting of primer, printing ink and top coat," explains Dr. Leimgruber. In addition to adhesion, elasticity, scratch and chemical resistance, protection against UV radiation and weathering is also extensively tested. "The results we get are absolutely convincing," reports Dr. Leimgruber: "While normal printing inks fade considerably after just a few months, the surface with Adler Print-Protect UV+ SQ looks practically as good as new even after years of intensive UV exposure!"