Why Control Humidity?

When printing with an offset or digital press, one important factor to monitor is the humidity of your pressroom. Why? Because a critical component used in the printing process is paper. Since paper is hygroscopic in nature, it will either absorb moisture from a damp atmosphere or release moisture to a dry atmosphere.

Drastic changes in the moisture content of paper can cause serious issues. An environment too low in humidity will pull moisture from a substrate causing its edges to lose dimensional stability. This will allow the paper to curl and compromise its stable delivery through the press.