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General Theory Of Subtractive Color

Some General Tips On Mixing Plastisol Inks

Common Plastisol Ink Additives

Here is a link to an article by Mike Ukena on screenweb.com about plastisol ink management and using additives. This is a great introductory article covering a good range of useful information about plastisol ink usage. Copyright © 2009 ST Media Group International. All Rights Reserved.

General Theory Of Subtractive Color                           About Mixing Ink Colors

Color could be said to be absolute if we are referring to the electromagnetic spectrum and the particular wavelength associated with each color of light. But when it comes to human perception, which is ultimately most important, color is not absolute. Each of us perceives color differently. This is something that is good to keeping mind when dealing with customers in screen printing.

In basic color theory where we mix paint for painting via the brush, we use the 3 primary colors; red, yellow, and blue. We can mix these 3 colors to mix any of the secondary or tertiary colors in the color wheel. This is more about what color is being reflected in the end.

In printing we use cyan, magenta, and yellow as the primaries. Black is added for various reasons most importantly because cyan, magenta, and yellow do not produce a “pure” black. This is called four color process, process color or CMYK. K represents black. This system is based on what light is being absorbed. This is so that the amount of any color showing in the final print will depend on the amount of ink laid down for each or the 3 primary colors. Cyan is the opposite of red. Magenta is the opposite of green. Yellow is the opposite of blue. The amount of blue in the final print will be directly related to the amount of yellow ink that is printed. The same is the case for the other primaries respectively.

Some General Tips On Mixing Plastisol Inks

Mixing plastisol inks can be an easy way to create a particular color that you don’t stock already. Perhaps you need a burnt orange for a 2 dozen shirt order. Now burnt orange is probably not a color you may use often. So in this case it is perfect for mixing the color needed for the job.

Orange is a common color to stock and if you have any “regular orange”, you can start with that.

If not, you can add equal amounts of red and yellow. Using more yellow will create a lighter orange. Using more red will make a red orange. Once you have the base orange you want to start with, add some black or even brown to make a burnt orange. If you use brown it will be a warmer, dirty burnt orange. If you use black it will be a cleaner darker burnt orange. Be careful when adding black ink to any other color. Use very small amounts and add more as needed. Black is very powerful and can overwhelm your color before you realize it.

White can be added to most any color to create a pastel or light shades. Adding white to blue will make light blue all the way to powder blue. With red, adding white will make pink or rose. White is also a color you should be careful with when adding to another color. Make sure to mix the ink thoroughly between additions of white. White can take some time to mix through but it is weak in comparison to adding black to other inks.

Depending on how light you intend to go, you may want to start with a volume of white ink and add the color to that. Sometimes trying to lighten a color by adding white ink will make you end up with more ink than you need.

It is best to mix your plastisol ink for screen printing on a non absorbent surface. If you use something like a piece of cardboard, over time the ink will solidify due to the absorption of its constituents into the cardboard fibers. This can happen as quickly as a few hours to overnight.

I use an 11 X 14 piece of Plexiglas to mix small amounts of ink. For larger quantities, you may wish to use mixing cups or buckets of various sizes.

I would suggest using plastic or metal spatulas and mixing sticks. Wood sticks like the ones used for painting are very absorbent and can leave wood fiber debris in you ink. You can use these for applying the ink to your screen as well. Just make sure there are no sharp, square edges that could puncture your mesh accidentally.

Mixing ink can be a cost effective way to supplement the color spectrum of your ink stock. However, if you do it in excess you can end up wasting ink. The best general rule is use ink straight out of the bucket as often as possible. Avoid mixing ink unless you are buying into a sophisticated computerized software system. That is the best way to make ink mixing economical and practical. Ink mixing software based on volume or weight is the most efficient ink mixing tool. Many ink vendors offer ink mixing software for use with a particular line of their ink.

Mixing Nylobond With Plastisol Inks: Nylon Printing

Have you ever wondered how to print nylon jackets and sports jerseys? Printing nylon products can be a challenge but with the right knowledge, equipment and supplies, you can print on nylon with relative ease.

The first thing you need to know about printing on nylon products is that standard plastisol inks will not bond properly to them. Plastisol inks need a catalyst additive that will make the ink bond with the nylon material. This will make the print wash and wear well. Without the nylon catalyst additive, the print will not last. It will rub off, peel, crack and scratch easily. Do not attempt to print any nylon product without the additive.

The most popular and well known nylon catalyst additive is made by Union Ink. It is called Nylobond. You can purchase it through most screen print supply companies. It has to be mixed with the plastisol ink, (which must not contain water), at a specific ratio. Mix in standard opacity plastisols at a rate of 1 part of Nylobond to 5 parts plastisol, (by volume). In high opacity plastisols mix at a rate of 1 part Nylobond to 4 parts plastisol.

These are the mixing details from Union Inks product specifications:

Add 10-15% Nylobond to the plastisol by weight. To obtain a 10% addition, the following is recommended:

To 1 qt. white add 6 oz. Nylobond
To 1 qt. color add 4 oz. Nylobond

For more effective bonding on more highly water-proofed garments use 15%:

To 1 qt. white add 9 oz. Nylobond
To 1 qt. color add 6 oz. Nylobond

Shelf life:

10 percent mixture: Up to 16 hours.

15 percent mixture: Up to 8 hours.

Nylobond is sometimes used in lower concentrations for better adhesion on water-proofed nylon and may help fully cure inks on fabrics that will not withstand the normal cure temperatures needed for regular plastisol inks alone.

Curing your printed nylon products can be tricky for many reasons but if cured correctly, prints should be sufficiently dry for handling and light stacking a few moments after they exit the dryer. The Nylobond mixed ink will be sticky right out of the oven and will even take a finger print if touched. Have someone catch your sports jerseys or jackets if they go through a belt dryer. After cooling the print will be soft and still fragile to scratching and rubbing but they will be completely hardened in about 72 hours. Higher ratios of Nylobond will cause the ink to cure faster.

Remember that nylon products will shrink and melt under too much heat in the oven or from a flash cure unit. This is why many printers tend to do 1 color prints on nylon jackets. If multi color prints are done it usually is done with very little registration between the colors. The shrinkage of the nylon material and ink make it difficult to print fine registration multi color jobs. Jacket liners can also add difficulty. That is not to say it can’t be done. Just make sure you have the skill to pull off what you promise your customer.

You will want to mix your Nylobond ink on or in plastic. Do not mix this on paper, wood or cardboard. The mix will dry up very quickly sitting on porous materials. Also make sure to clean your screens completely of the Nylobond mixed ink as soon as you are done printing with it. That goes for your spatulas, squeegees, mixing boards and other items that come in contact with this ink mix. It will be easier to clean up right after the job. If you wait, cleaning will require more effort and screens may get clogged or ruined.

Tips:

- Use a jacket hold down bracket for your pallet.

- Pre-shrink the jacket with a flash unit.

- Avoid excessive heat, the nylon will melt.

- Use very quick flash cures between colors

  to minimize registration problems.

- Sometimes wiping the nylon down with an acetone

  dampened rag before printing can help.

Common Plastisol Ink Additives

There are several common plastisol ink additives that may be used in a screen printing shop on a regular basis. These are plastisol additives that are mixed into existing pigmented plastisol inks to achieve different performance characteristics. Some are simply designed to extend the ink and others are made to make it less tacky. Most of the additives today will be balanced or curable. This means the additive is formulated to cure the same way the plastisol ink is. That way any amount can be added without causing curing problems. Some additives do require specific mixing ratios. The following is a brief explanation of some plastisol ink additives.

Extender Bases

Extender Bases are used to increase the quantity of plastisol inks. When added to pigmented ink it causes the volume to increase. Most Extender Base additives are plastisol based and will not affect the cure process.  Extender Bases will reduce the pigmented ink’s opacity. Extender Bases can also be used as an under base in place of white for printing on polyester and cotton/polyester blends to minimize dye migration when a white under base is not the best solution.

Soft Hand Bases

Soft Hand Bases are clear plastisol base additives which reduce the ink’s viscosity and make the ink penetrate into the fabric more so than extender bases. The final print has a softer feel to the touch especially when the ink mix is printed with a higher mesh count. Most Soft Hand Bases are plastisol based and will not affect the cure process. It will reduce the opacity of the ink it is added to. Soft Hand Bases are not good to use in situations where opacity is needed or with low-bleed inks being printed on polyester or cotton/polyester blend fabrics.

Halftone Bases

Halftone Bases are a transparent type plastisol base additives used in process, (CMYK), printing. It makes the ink print very well wet on wet. It also helps control dot smearing and dot gain because the ink penetrates further into the garment. It is not meant to reduce the viscosity. Most Halftone Bases are plastisol based and will not affect the cure process. It does however; reduce the opacity of any ink it is added to quite a bit.

Metallic Clear Bases

Metallic Clear Bases are transparent plastisol base additives with a thicker consistency than other bases. It is designed to be used with glitter flakes and metallic powders. The heavier body of the metallic base helps keep the coloring agent in suspension. Metallic Clear Bases are plastisol based and will not affect the cure process.

Reducers Or Viscosity Reducers

Plastisol Viscosity Reducers are used with plastisol ink and have special de-tacking agents that help reduce the amount of ink that adheres to the bottom of the screens when printing wet on wet. They also decrease opacity. Reducers are plastisol based and will not affect the cure process.

Flattening Agents

Flattening Agents such as suede additives can be added to reduce the high gloss of plastisol inks.

Thickener Pastes

Sometimes you may want to increase the viscosity of a plastisol ink. This plastisol additive will cause the ink to thicken. Most are plastisol based and will not affect the cure process.

Flow Control Additives

When printing wet-on-wet; ink buildup on the back of the screens can degrade the sharpness of the printed image. Flow Control Additives can reduce this problem. It lowers ink viscosity and reduces the amount of ink that sticks to the back of the screen. Most are plastisol based and will not affect the cure process.

Puff Additives

It is easier and less expensive to stock a transparent puff additive as opposed to buying puff ink in colors. Any plastisol ink in inventory can be quickly mixed into a puff ink with puff additive. These are plastisol based and will not affect the cure process.

Remember, it is always very important to read the technical data sheet, instructions and warnings from the vendor of your plastisol ink additives. Use only plastisol inks and additives formulated for your specific application. Make sure the additive you are using is compatible with your brand of plastisol ink. Mix all of your inks well and it is always a good idea to follow mixing instructions as closely as possible.

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