All About Helium Balloons

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You might not believe it but promotional latex balloons are printed whilst inflated. This is no easy process, in fact it's actually quite complicated. The latex balloons are inflated with air and held in a clamp. After this they are squashed down onto a screen which delivers the image onto the balloon.

After the printing process the wet ink needs to be completely dried before it can be deflated. It must not be deflated too soon or the ink will stay moist for hours and as a result they will stick together. An automatic printing machine will be able to inflate them slightly more after printing to help faster drying, the balloons are then generally blown dry.

This method of drying was never a problem during the early days when all latex balloons were printed using what's known as the offset method. Offset printing used rubber plates and rollers to apply a thin layer of ink to the inflated balloons. The ink dried instantly. A great speedy printing method but unfortunately the quality was poor. The printed versions looked acceptable when they were flat but as soon as they were inflated the ink faded.

Demand began to increase and as a result the call for improved quality arrived, and so screen printing became the norm. The screens give a thicker build of ink and top quality. White ink on Black became possible, this was definitely not an option with the old offset method.

As balloon printing at birthdays, weddings and corporate events continued to grow in popularity, so did the need for accessories. before long self sealing valves were on the market as most people found it tricky to tie in excess of 100 balloons. The first valves on the market needed a small inward 'push' to seal them and after a while these were superseded by instant sealing valves.

The valves are simply inserted into the bottom of the balloons once they have been printed. As soon as they are helium filled they become the perfect promotional item, a moving advert that everybody wants - but costs very little.

As balloon printing took off demand grew for races and releases. A release is the perfect spectacle at Football grounds, schools and corporate launches.

As a result this brought new environmental issues to the industry. A code of conduct was created and the new self sealing valves were not permitted for use during a release. Everything now had to be totally biodegradable.

In today's market place it's never been easier to source and purchase promotional balloons. You can order them printed, with helium gas and any required accessories by sending a simple email. The print quality and durability has been tried and tested to deliver excellent performance and float times.

About the Author:
The author resides in London and works in the digital design industry. For further information on anything relating to helium balloons and balloon printing he recommends visiting: Balloon.co.uk



Article Originally Published On: http://www.articlesnatch.com


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