Screen Printing Tip of the Week: How ‘Tools’ Impact Ink Performance

The following Screen Printing Tip of the Week  by Kieth Stevens was recently published in Impressions Magazine.

HOW ‘TOOLS’ IMPACT INK PERFORMANCE

For the most part, standard plastisol inks in today’s market are fairly similar, although some products may perform better than others due to formulations and better raw materials used.
What differentiates how an ink performs compared to another? Is it really just the ink or are other factors playing a part?

One critical aspect is the technical support and service that a printer should receive from the manufacturer. Know-how and skill are powerful weapons that can turn a “so-so” print into a great print.

What has the most impact on how inks perform is not necessarily the ink itself, but everything else that is used in the printing process.

Each piece of printing equipment or accessory becomes a powerful “tool” that printers have in their arsenals. From mesh selection (thread count, diameter and tension), emulsion selection (type, cure, thickness and exposure) and squeegee selection (profile, durometer), to off-contact, flood, squeegee stroke speed and pressure, each factor can affect the resulting print.

Knowing how each tool affects the outcome of a print and how printers can mix the variables to suit their needs is paramount to how the ink ultimately will perform. It is important to learn as much as possible about each piece of equipment and accessory from the manufacturer or supplies distributor, and to know how each piece can change or modify print quality.

Kieth Stevens is the Western regional sales manager for International Coatings. He has been teaching screen printing for more than 10 years and is a regular contributor to International Coatings’ blogs. For more information, visit iccink.com and read the company’s blog at internationalcoatingsblog.com.

International Coatings manufactures a complete line of phthalate-compliant screen printing inks, including a wide variety of whites, specialty inks, special effects inks, color matching systems, additives and reducers.  For more information on our products, please visit our website at www.iccink.com.

    International Coatings:     The Intelligent Choice

Join us at FESPA 2013 in London

FESPA 2013, the print industry’s largest event for screen, digital wide format and textile print innovation, will be held at ExCeL London just a few weeks away, June 25-29.  If you are attending, please stop by our booth (booth# H54N).  We would love to see you there.

For complimentary registration passes, please click here.

We have been working on a several exciting new products and print techniques to share with you.  So be sure to come by the booth!

International Coatings manufactures a complete line of phthalate-compliant screen printing inks, including a wide variety of whites, specialty inks, special effects inks, color matching systems, additives and reducers.  For more information on our products, please visit our website at www.iccink.com.

    International Coatings:     The Intelligent Choice

PRINTWEAR Article: Clarifying Compliance

Ed Branigan wrote a new article published in the recent April 2013 edition of Printwear Magazine, entitled:  “Clarifying Compliance – What the CPSIA means to you.”  Here Ed breaks down the complex definitions and restrictions of the CPSIA laws and how it may apply to everyday printers.  An informative flowchart as well as an explanation what the printer needs to know makes the article a must-read.

Check out the article (in PDF format) from our website here.

International Coatings manufactures a complete line of phthalate-compliant screen printing inks, including a wide variety of whites, specialty inks, special effects inks, color matching systems, additives and reducers.  For more information on our products, please visit our website at www.iccink.com.

    International Coatings:     The Intelligent Choice

New How-To Video Posted on IC TV

We’ve posted another exciting how-to video on our IC TV YouTube Channel:

BlowOut With Discharge Bleed Effect

Ed Branigan demonstrates a simple special effects technique using our 3810 BlowOut Base and tinted Discharge.

Simple but WOW!  Check it out now!

International Coatings manufactures a complete line of phthalate-compliant screen printing inks, including a wide variety of whites, specialty inks, special effects inks, color matching systems, additives and reducers.  For more information on our products, please visit our website at www.iccink.com.

    International Coatings:     The Intelligent Choice

Top 5 Ways to Maintain Your Bottom Line

This week we are featuring another “Top 5″ article written by Kieth Stevens and published in Impressions:

Recently, my co-workers and I were discussing how important all the screen printing production environment, from tools to processes, are to a shop’s bottom line. After all, a printer’s goal is to make money. With that in mind, here are a few more practical tips that may be helpful as you continue to run your business.

We all understand how important it is to pay as little as possible for any given item. We also understand that selling the finished product for as much as the market can bear — or at least at a fair price — is important. Labor costs in our industry also have a huge impact on the bottom line. These factors, among many other things, impact your pocket book.

But the greatest variable that affects your bottom line is the flow or rate of your production. Put another way, you must make sure you are keeping the shirts or garments flowing through your plant.

If I had a machine in my garage that printed dollar bills, there are a few things I would do:

1. Ensure I never run out of ink — no matter what.

2. Ensure I never let the machine run out of paper.

These two things seem like no brainers right? Well the same should apply to screen printing shops. Make sure your ink is the correct type (not just the necessary color, but also the correct properties, such as special-effects ink, cotton white, low-bleed inks, etc.) and is ready to be used. Also make sure shirts are ready and laid out next to the machine.

3. To keep my money-printing machine running, I also would make sure that my tools are in the best state. Use emulsion that is durable, make sure squeegees and flood bars are clean and sharp, use correctly tensioned mesh and properly adjust the off-contact on your press. In other words, make sure anything you could possibly need is at the ready so you won’t have to stray away to get anything. This slows the production process.

It’s important to note that getting the cheapest item is not always best. If your cheap tool breaks down, your production flow consequently will be slowed.

4. Worker safety also is an important consideration in maintaining production workflow. Establish safety rules for the production floor and be sure to educate your workers on how to run the machines properly. Improper machine use or a defective machine can lead to a major accident, which may result in someone getting hurt, down time associated with the accident, labor loss and possible fines associated with the accident, etc.

5. Lastly, to keep a machine in top working condition, I strongly suggest having spare parts at the ready. If something were to break, you could repair it or substitute that part right away. With my money-printing machine, I would do almost anything it takes to keep it running. To that end, keeping machines in an up-to-date condition involves regular maintenance, repair and overhaul. This also includes preventive maintenance, which involves keeping it in a completely functioning state rather than attending to it when a problem occurs. Machinery maintenance keeps your systems from depreciating and undergoing impending breakdowns.

Constant machinery maintenance or industrial maintenance has many benefits. Getting the machine repaired only when a problem occurs greatly hampers productivity. Check to be sure your machines are in optimal running condition. Here are further benefits to keeping your machines in tip-top condition:

• Increases the efficiency and speed of your equipment
• Saves energy and life of the equipment
• Saves expenditures that could surface during a machine breakdown, like replacing damaged parts
• Keeps the machine speed at the best possible rate and the work is done much faster
• May bring to light defects that can be repaired before they become larger problems

To recap, running the office and selling at the right price are extremely important tasks, but if the overall production is not running smoothly, you will soon be out of business. If you keep your production running at peak performance you can be assured that you will win the race.

Kieth Stevens is the Western regional sales manager for International Coatings. He has been teaching screen printing for more than 10 years and is a regular contributor to International Coatings’ blogs. For more information, visit iccink.com and read the company’s blog at internationalcoatingsblog.com

 

International Coatings manufactures a complete line of phthalate-compliant screen printing inks, including a wide variety of whites, specialty inks, special effects inks, color matching systems, additives and reducers.  For more information on our products, please visit our website at www.iccink.com.

    International Coatings:     The Intelligent Choice

DAX Chicagoland 2013, April 26-27, 2013

DAX Chicagoland is upon us once again!

John Levocz, our North East Regional Sales Manager is going to present our latest inks and print techniques.  Come by SPSI’s (Booths 217, 218) or Atlas Screen Supply’s (Booths 418, 420, 517, 519) booths and check out our latest performance whites.

DAX Chicagoland 2013 is being held at the Tinley Park Convention Center April 26-27, 2013.  Be sure to visit!

John Levocz, International Coatings’ Northeast regional sales director, has been in the screen printing industry for more than 30 years and has broad experience in graphics and textile printing. John is a contributor to International Coatings’ blogs and holds print seminars all over the country.

International Coatings manufactures a complete line of phthalate-compliant screen printing inks, including a wide variety of whites, specialty inks, special effects inks, color matching systems, additives and reducers.  For more information on our products, please visit our website at www.iccink.com.

    International Coatings:     The Intelligent Choice

New 7014 Legacy White Available Now!

It’s official!
Our new 7014 Legacy White™ is now one of our top sellers, and we haven’t even formally launched it yet.  Needless to say, International Coatings is excited to introduce the newly reformulated 7014 Legacy White™ that has everyone buzzing.

What Is So Special About the 7014 Legacy White™?

7014 Legacy White™ is very opaque and easy to print, covers easily, is smooth to the touch and produces in a matte finish. It is creamy, fast-flashing and has great bleed resistance.

 

Continue to read our New Product Announcement here.

 

International Coatings manufactures a complete line of phthalate-compliant screen printing inks, including a wide variety of whites, specialty inks, special effects inks, color matching systems, additives and reducers. For more information on our products, please visit our website at www.iccink.com.

International Coatings: The Intelligent Choice

Spring Newsletter 2013

Check out our latest Spring 2013 Newsletter.  We’ve got lots of news to share with you.

International Coatings manufactures a complete line of phthalate-compliant screen printing inks, including a wide variety of whites, specialty inks, special effects inks, color matching systems, additives and reducers. For more information on our products, please visit our website at www.iccink.com.

International Coatings: The Intelligent Choice

DAX Minneapolis 2013, March 22 – 23, 2013

It’s time for the next DAX show, this time in Minneapolis March 22 – 23rd, 2013.  Come visit us at SPSI’s (Booths 401, 402) or Atlas Screen Supply’s (Booth 918, 802, 804, 806) booths.

Our North East Regional Sales Manager, John Levocz will be on-site to present the latest inks and techniques.  He will also be doing live print demos, so don’t miss out!

The DAX Minneapolis show will be held at the Double Tree Bloomington.

John Levocz, International Coatings’ Northeast regional sales director, has been in the screen printing industry for more than 30 years and has broad experience in graphics and textile printing. John is a contributor to International Coatings’ blogs and holds print seminars all over the country.

International Coatings manufactures a complete line of phthalate-compliant screen printing inks, including a wide variety of whites, specialty inks, special effects inks, color matching systems, additives and reducers.  For more information on our products, please visit our website at www.iccink.com.

    International Coatings:     The Intelligent Choice

New 7031 Ultra White Is Here

International Coatings is proud to introduce its newly reformulated 7031 Ultra White™.

7031 Ultra White™ was redesigned from the ground up. It contains Non-Phthalate materials to meet a list of exacting standards. Importantly, it is easier to print and is one of the highest-performing whites in the market.

• Here are some of the attributes of the new 7031 Ultra White:
• The new 7031 offers exceptional brightness, super soft feel, excellent opacity, and is very creamy and short-bodied.
• 7031 flashes very fast and has a matte finish.
• 7031 has moderate bleed resistance.
• 7031 can be used as an underbase or highlight white and can be printed through mesh counts of up to 305.

Major printers that have completed beta-tests with the new 7031 Ultra White™ all agree that it exceeds their expectations, especially in coverage and brightness.  In side-by-side print tests with comparable competitive products, the 7031 Ultra White™ out-performed the competition in coverage and printability.

7031 Ultra White™ is available through International Coatings’ exclusive network of distributor companies.

Contact International Coatings toll free at 1 (800) 423-4103 (within the U.S. only) or 1 (562) 926-1010, or go to our website at www.iccink.com, for more information.

International Coatings manufactures a complete line of phthalate-compliant screen printing inks, including a wide variety of whites, specialty inks, special effects inks, color matching systems, additives and reducers.  For more information on our products, please visit our website at www.iccink.com.

   International Coatings:     The Intelligent Choice