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

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

McLogan Seminar March 27, 2013

Join us for this exciting seminar featuring:

 

Ø      NEW Whites 

·         7031 Ultra White

·         7014 Legacy White

·         Learn when to use which whites for which substrates 

 Ø      7100 Series Performance Pro

·         How to print on performance fabrics including Polyester, stretch, etc.

·         What does the 7100 Performance Pro do?

 

PLUS:  Special Effects Techniques featuring Ed Branigan.

Don’t miss out on this opportunity to broaden your   product knowledge and hands-on techniques.

Space is very limited, so don’t delay.  RSVP today!

A non-refundable charge of $25 will apply.

Lunch and snacks will be provided!

DATE:  Wednesday, March 27, 2013

LOCATION:  International Coatings Headquarters

13929 E. 166th St.

Cerritos, CA 90703

COST: $25

IMPORTANT:  Dress code – Please only wear closed-toe shoes

http://myemail.constantcontact.com/McLogan-Seminar-Invitation-March-27–2013.html?soid=1102801309700&aid=3-xYCz_9gnE.

ISS Atlantic City March 8-10, 2013

We are entering our busy Tradeshow season with another ISS Show coming up:  ISS Atlantic City, March 8-10, 2013.

John Levocz, our North East Regional Sales Manager will be on hand to showcase our latest inks and techniques.  Stop by the Nazdar SourceOne (Booth 1301),  Davis International (Booth 1236) or Garston (Booth 933) Booths and check out what we have to offer!

John will also be printing live at the show. Come out and check out the show!

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 7100 Performance Pro Available Now!

After completing months of beta-testing, we are now launching our 7100 Performance Pro Line.  Check out Pefrmance Pro’s attributes and info here:  http://myemail.constantcontact.com/New-7100-Performance-Pro-Available-Now.html?soid=1102801309700&aid=CtJUDlNbldw.

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

 

SGIA 2012 Coming Up!

Visit us at SGIA in Las Vegas next week, October 18 – 20, 2012, Booth # 3259.  We have lots of new products to show you!

Check out live demos at our booth throughout the day.  We will be featuring our innovative AXEON line of Non-PVC, Non-Phthalate special effects inks as well as our GEN IV Non-PVC, Non-Phthalate high-solids water-base inks.  In addition, we will also be showcasing our 7100 Performance Pro Series, specifically formulated for athletic and poly/stretch fabrics.

On Saturday, Oct. 20th, don’t miss Kieth Stevens and Ed Branigan’s live seminars and demos at the Screen Printed Apparel Training Zone (Booth # 3624) at 10:00 am, 11:00 am, and 1:00 pm.

Come by the booth and check out our new products.  Ed Branigan has some great print effects lined up. We’d love to see you there!

Register for FREE here (use VIP code 2112 if prompted).

BC Supply Seminar Follow-Up

Art supplied by ODM Art and BC Supply, Inc. Printed using GEN IV Series Non-PVC, Non-Phthalate Inks

Last week we had another successful seminar.  “Thank You” to all who attended.  To recap, we showcased our Non-PVC, Non-Phthalate GEN IV Series as well as our Axeon line of special effects inks.

A special “thank you” to our distributor, BC Supply and their staff as well as ODM Art for supplying the artwork we printed with the GEN IV and for Murakami and Ulano for supplying the screens and emulsion.

For more on the GEN IV Series, please go to: http://www.iccink.com/screenprint/waterbase.htm

To reach BC Supply, here is their website: http://bcsupply.net/

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 and Improved 7031 Ultra White Now Available

One of the projects we’ve been working on this summer is to improve our popular 7031 Ultra White ink.  How can we have made it better?  Here are the improvements:

•  7031 Ultra White has now been reformulated to be Non-Phthalate

•  It’s creamier, so the ink is easier for manual printers to use

•  Improved body

•  Superb white ink – our Product Manager believes it’s one of our best white inks

•  Can be used as a highlight white as well as an underbase white

So be sure to try out the improved 7031 Ultra White 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