The influence of solvents and solvent mixtures on the development of internal stress in a thermoplastic is considered. A cantilever method was used to determine the internal stress. It was found that the magnitude and especially the rate of development of stress are dependent on the type of solvent. The slower the loss of the solvent from the coating, the slower the development of stress and the smaller its magnitude. When a mixture of solvents is present in a coating, the magnitude and development rate of stress are principally affected by the slowest evaporating solvent. These results are discussed in terms of the plasticizing effectiveness of solvents and the stress relaxation process occurring during solvent evaporation. -- AATA