How does the weather affect your paper?

Calgary business owners are aware of how temperamental our weather patterns can be. What most aren’t aware of is how temperature affects printer paper.

Humidity and printer paper

High humidity can have an impact on your paper supply and we certainly have had an unusual amount of rain this past July. As paper absorbs moisture, the width of each fibre grows. The end result is paper bloat — which results in prints with curled edges.

This can also occur If you have humidifiers running high to battle dry winter air.

Low humidity can also cause issues for Calgary printers. The greatest paper handling problems occur on cold days with low humidity — tight edges that result in sheet wrinkling and problems with static electricity.

Printers and copiers work best when they know what kind of paper has been loaded and can adjust to match paper type. If your device you has been sent for 40lb paper, but the humidity makes the paper seem like 50lb, most likely you’ll end. Up with a paper jam.

Temperature and printer paper

Temperature can also impact paper quality, especially for large rolls of paper. If paper is stored in a cold area, then opened the roll in a hot room, condensation can appear on the paper similar to what you would see on a glass of water during the hot summer months. For office paper, the effects aren’t as severe typically.

How to prevent environmental problems with your printer paper

Store your paper in a temperature and humidity controlled area. Purchase god quality paper which is not affected as much by the weather because the fibres are tighter,

PrinterWorks West works with you to ensure your resources are allocated properly by analyzing your printed document processes. By analyzing the metrics, we can help you understand your existing print environment and the true cost of your document production across the entire enterprise. We help you to take control of your print fleet and optimize it to work more effectively for your business and your bottom line.

If you would like to learn more about Managed Print Services in the Calgary area, please feel free to contact us.