What is a Digital Ground and Why Should I Use It?

Golden Digital Grounds are fluid products that can be applied to many different kinds of surfaces and substrates, leaving a dry film that will accept ink jet printing without bleeding, blurring, or pooling of inks. Since the advent of advanced inkjet printing technology, artists have wanted to use the process to expand already existing fine art methods and materials, but were limited to commercially prepared, specially coated papers and canvas. These new grounds free up the options and add a new tool for mixing photography, painting, collage, printmaking and mixed media in general. There are three types of Golden Digital Grounds:

Digital Ground White (Matte) is a porous, opaque, white ground for use on a multitude of surfaces. As a porous ink-jet coating, it allows prints to dry extremely rapidly, making it an ideal starting point for the first-time user looking for the most trouble free application on a wide range of materials.

Digital Ground Clear (Gloss) is a clear ground with a gloss sheen for use on most absorbent surfaces, allowing the underlying material to show through. The nature of this type of ink-jet receptive coating means that prints dry more slowly.

Digital Ground for Non-Porous Surfaces is similar to the Clear described above but optimized for increased adhesion and performance on non-porous surfaces such as aluminum or plastic.

PRINTERS & INK SYSTEMS

In general, wide format printers, 24" or more in width, should have few difficulties with most of the techniques and substrates the Digital Grounds can be used with. When using standard home desktop and photo printers, use care if planning to work with thicker materials and textures that can jam the printer, or non-absorbent substrates where inks are inherently slower drying. Regardless of which type of ink-jet printer you use, always consult your printer's documentation to be familiar with its specifications and possible adjustments. GOLDEN Digital Grounds can be used with both dye and pigment-based inks. Due to the constant changes in ink technology, however, one should always test applications to make sure the ink system being used is compatible.

For more information on these issues, consult our Digital Ground Tech Sheet:

http://www.goldenpaints.com/technicaldata/digigrnd.php

SUBSTRATES

The types of substrates that can be used are nearly limitless. The main factors to note are the substrate's absorbency, thickness, fragility, and its size and shape. Each of these can affect its performance and impact which ground will perform best. Testing a small piece of a material before using in any committed way is always recommended. For more information about substrate concerns and issues consult the Digital Ground Tech Sheet referenced above. Some of the categories and types of materials that can and have been printed on using Golden Digital Grounds are:

Porous/Absorbent Surfaces	Non-Porous/Non-Absorbent Surfaces	Acrylic Skins and Painted Surfaces
Japanese Rice Paper Canvas Various Fabrics Wallpaper Leather Unsealed Wood Veneer	Aluminum Copper Metal Foil Marble Mylar, Acetate, Plexiglas	Acrylic Paints, Gels & Mediums Molding Pastes

PRODUCT APPLICATION

For the smoothest application apply with either a foam brush or foam roller. Follow the instructions on the label and in our Digital Ground Tech Sheet:

http://www.goldenpaints.com/technicaldata/digigrnd.php

WATER SENSITIVITY

Both the Digital Ground Clear (Gloss) and Digital Ground for Non-Porous Surfaces are water sensitive and can be easily re-activated with moisture. Therefore, prior to working on top of these grounds with any water-based media, including any of our Acrylic Colors and Mediums, we recommend sealing or 'fixing' the print with our Archival Varnish (Gloss). Failure to do so can cause the inks to run or the image to blur. Our Digital Ground White (Matte), however, provides excellent water resistance and should not present a problem once fully dry. As always, though, test for your application.

FINAL PROTECTION

Like all printmaking and photographic processes, digital media remain vulnerable to water sensitivity, fading caused by UV exposure and airborne pollutants, surface abrasion, and dirt. Unless planning to frame and mount the piece behind glass, some form of final protection is strongly recommended. Without it, the print can be easily damaged and its longevity greatly shortened.

For more information about these issues, including varnishing and top coating your digitally printed works, consult our Tech Sheets for the Digital Grounds, Gel Topcoat w/ UVLS, and the Mix More Media area of our web site:

http://www.goldenpaints.com/technicaldata/digigrnd.php

http://www.goldenpaints.com/technicaldata/geltop.php

http://www.goldenpaints.com/mixmoremedia/digiground.php

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