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6
Waterfastness
The term "waterfast" or "water resistant" should not be interpreted to mean "water proof", i.e. a printed image
may be submerged under water, or be held under a running tap without destroying the printed image.
Definition of Waterfast/Water Resistant - these two terms are used interchangeably. It is the ability of a
printed image to withstand the effects of water with minimal or acceptable change.
Clarification: Effects of water refers to brief contact with water, such as the result of spilling a glass of water
and immediately blot-drying with a clean, lint-free cloth. It does not include exposure to any other liquid (such
as coffee, tea, alcoholic beverages, milk, seawater, etc.). Minimal or acceptable change refers to the amount of
ink migration ("running") that occurs when a printed image is exposed to water. Minimal is slight ink migration
from any area of the image, and acceptable would mean no visible ink migration.
Many media are waterfast or water resistant- including white matt film, pressure sensitive vinyls, banner
fabric and banner vinyl. Details on their durability can be found on the media fact sheets or the durability guide.
However most water resistant media are not waterproof and CANNOT be submerged in water or
subjected to running water. Outdoor blue back paper is waterproof when used in its normal billboard
application process. See media fact sheet for details. Finishing guidelines for out door durability e.g. lamination
must be followed when constructing a print for out door use.
Printer Compatibility
All Xerox oil inkjet media are formulated for Xerox X2 equipment but they can also be used in Xpress and Seiko
equipment with some differences in output performance. Appropriate print testing should be carried out before
commencing any large-scale production to ensure expectations are fully met. Durability guidelines listed apply
for X2 printed images.
Use of Non-approved Supplies
Xerox authorised inks, media or other supplies are designed and tested to assure optimum
performance from the X2 printer. Non-approved materials may not produce the same quality
product and may cause service problems or damage to the unit. Such damage will void the
warranty and may result in additional service cost.
The X2 printer is sensitive to unique core tolerances, as well as, media curl, which will cause the printer to jam
excessively. Unacceptable core tolerances will cause media slippage and image mis-registration.
Non-Xerox media may not fully be tested in the "corner-to-corner" environmental range, therefore is not
assured to work successfully in the X2. For example, media that is not capable of performing in the high (or
low) end of the humidity and temperature range may cause material "cockle" or head strikes. Although some
media will produce an acceptable level of image quality for some regions, sometimes, the overall quality and
material coating consistency cannot be assured or backed by Xerox.
IMPORTANT NOTE: The use of non-qualified supplies in the Xerox X2 could damage the printer. Such damage
will void the warranty and may incur additional service costs chargeable to the user. They include:
Head Strike which is defined as any contact between the nozzle surface of the writing
heads and the media in the paper path. Head strikes may cause no ill effect to the
writing, however it should be taken as a warning that a Head Crash is about to occur.
Head Crashes occur when the print heads catch the edge of the media as it begins to
traverse the print area. This is extremely damaging to the print heads and very
expensive to repair. Media that is too thick or curls at the edge can cause head crashes.
If the cause of this damage is due to use of unapproved media, the customer will be charged for parts and
labour for repairs. The labour process requires the damaged head to be replaced and the machine recalibrated,
resulting in extensive chargeable service and production “down time”.
