Overview

Solvent-based ink performs best in cool to moderate temperatures. When ambient or surface temperatures exceed 95°F (35°C), solvent ink can become too thin and evaporate too quickly, leading to inconsistent or incomplete printing.

This article explains why solvent ink behaves this way in hot conditions, how to recognize early warning signs, and what actions to take to maintain print quality on hot jobsites.

What You’ll See in the Field

In hot conditions, you may observe one or more of the following:

• Printing stops after starting normally: The FieldPrinter begins printing correctly but stops releasing ink after a short time.
• Lines appear thin or broken: Printed lines look faint, patchy, or incomplete.
• Temporary recovery after cleaning: Cleaning the nozzles with alcohol briefly restores flow, but the issue returns within minutes.
• High surface or air temperature: Ambient air or slab surface temperatures are near or above 95°F (35°C).

Note: These symptoms are caused by ink behavior in heat, not by a hardware, tablet, or Dusty App failure.

Why This Happens

Ink thins in the heat

As temperatures rise, solvent ink loses viscosity. Lower viscosity reduces the cartridge’s ability to maintain enough pressure to eject ink droplets consistently, resulting in weak or uneven ink flow.

Solvent evaporation

High temperatures cause the solvent portion of the ink to evaporate faster than it can be ejected. This leads to dry ink residue forming on the nozzle plate, restricting flow and causing intermittent printing.

Nozzle crusting

As solvent evaporates, residue forms a thin crust around the nozzle openings. Wiping the nozzles may temporarily restore printing, but the issue returns once the printhead heats up again.

Temperature Guidelines

Tip: Even if air temperature is below 95°F, concrete or slab surfaces in direct sunlight can exceed 95°F, which is hot enough to cause solvent ink to dry before reaching the ground.

How to Prevent Heat-Related Ink Failures

Keep ink cool

• Store cartridges in shade or inside insulated containers during operation.
• Avoid hot storage such as parked vehicles or sealed cases exposed to sunlight.
• Let cartridges stabilize to ambient temperature before printing.

Plan around the heat

• Print during cooler hours, such as early morning or late afternoon.
• Use shade for both the FieldPrinter and tracker when possible.
• Avoid long continuous runs on exposed concrete during peak heat.

When using solvent-based ink in hot conditions, long runs (typically over ~100 ft at 1/16" thickness or thicker line widths) can cause overheating. Built-in protections may pause printing if this occurs. If printing pauses:

• Switch to a thinner line width first.
• Shorten line lengths as needed before resuming.

Use the correct ink for hot conditions

When consistent printing is required above 95°F, switch to water-based ink and apply a clear coating if needed.

The FieldPrinter automatically detects the installed ink type and adjusts print parameters accordingly. No manual selection is required.

Why This Can’t Be Fixed by Calibration

The FieldPrinter uses thermal inkjet (TIJ) technology, which depends on precise ink viscosity and evaporation rates to eject consistent droplets.

At high temperatures, solvent ink becomes too thin and evaporates prematurely. These conditions cannot be fully corrected through software or calibration. Temperature management and proper ink selection are the most reliable solutions.