Ink is running / bleeding on my water resistant Primera Label Stock.

In most cases ink should not run or bleed from the label when exposed to water.   However, certain images/label designs may be more susceptible to slight bleeding.   Follow these steps to minimize bleeding.

• Let label stock dry for 24 hours before exposing to water.  This will give the ink a chance to fully cure.
• Reduce Saturation to 80% (LX400, LX800, LX900).  Lower the Quality setting on the LX2000.  This will cause less ink to be placed on the label.  Typically a label will bleed because not all of the ink was encapsulated under the water resistance layer.
• Adjust Ink Cartridge setting between Color Only and Color + Black (LX400, LX800, LX900).  Change the Media Type for the LX2000.  Try White Polyester vs. High Gloss Paper.
• If possible, design your image to take advantage of the great features of the label stock and design around the limitations.  If you have color graphics or black text set against a white background you could experiment with different text colors or inverting the label so you have white text inside a solid area.

Note 1: Only “Extreme” label stock is rated for water contact.  This includes the following label stock: Extreme White Matte BOPP Matte polypropylene, Extreme White Matte Vinyl Matte vinyl, Extreme High Gloss White Poly, Extreme High Gloss Clear Poly, Extreme Polyjet (Pigment Only), Extreme High Gloss Gold Poly, and Extreme High Gloss Silver Poly.

Note 2: If water droplets are allowed to dry on a label you may notice color blooming in the areas of those droplets, especially if the printed area is surrounded by unprinted white area.  The unprinted areas are like open roadways for the ink.  They allow ink to flow into them and once the ink is on the unprinted area it stays in place.  If the entire label is filled with ink, bleeding of any kind is less likely because there are no places for the ink to go.

Note 3: Proper testing in the final application environment is recommended especially when used near water or chemicals.  As with all pressure-sensitive materials, this product should be tested thoroughly under end-user conditions to ensure it will meet the requirements of the specific application.

If after following all of the suggestions above, you still have bleeding problems, it is possible that this material may not be suitable for your particular environment.  Before returning the label stock, please contact tech support for other options or to determine if the stock may be defective.  To determine if the stock is defective tech support will require scans/pictures of printed label stock, your original artwork for in house testing and a description of how the label is being used.