Choosing the right ink is the basis of screen printing.
Professional silk screen printing can produce a variety of printed matter, in which thick film ink is unique, its lightfastness, abrasion resistance, good print resistance, suitable for all types of rigid, flexible printing on the substrate. Therefore, choosing the right ink can achieve the ideal printing effect and the best performance.
In order to help select the right printing ink for different substrates, the characteristics of the following commonly used inks are described as follows:
In the past 10 years, uv inks have had a tremendous impact on the visual media market. Unlike Uv inks and solvent inks and evaporation inks, solvent inks become dry ink films once the solvent evaporates; uv compounds contain oligomers, monomeric polymers, and photoinitiators. Solvent-based ink pack resins, uv inks contain oligomers, which are different from solvent-based ink inclusions. Photopolymers react with other compounds, such as single polymers. The monomeric polymer acts like a solvent, acting as a transfer and providing the necessary tackiness for printing.
Uv ink must be fully cured. The curing process is accomplished by the action of a photoinitiator, which acts as a linker promoting, linking the dispersed molecules and allowing them to polymerize.
Uv ink can be cut, flexed, rubbed, soft, outdoor weather resistance up to 5 years. Uv inks have many advantages over solvent evaporation inks. If the factory does not have 60 feet of gas drying equipment, 8-10 feet of gas drying equipment can be substituted for more economical production. Uv ink printing problems, uv viscosity will not change, the ink does not evaporate, four-color printing easier.
Water-based reduction uv ink Water-based reduction uv ink meets the solid content requirements and is suitable for uncoated paper. Due to the high water content, the thickness of the cured film can be slightly reduced and can be diluted with water and rinsed with water. Water-reduced uv inks require lower uv energy than conventional high solids uv inks. The disadvantage of aqueous reduction uv inks is that they are not easy to handle on light weight paper and porous paper. The buckling that occurs when the paper absorbs water quickly is a common problem. Resin inks need to release water quickly without affecting the cross-linking of the resin.
There is not much room for retrofitting traditional water-based inks. The most widely used area is commercial advertisements, especially for papers with a weight greater than 80 bl. If less than this weight, the printed paper may wrinkle or curl. Other applications: Ethylene and metal substrates. Chemical hardeners are used to improve the external performance, but the need to consider cutting requires consideration of the softness of the ink.
Low performance and high content of ethylene, polyolefin, light weight paper, outdoor weather resistance for a long time, requiring strong chemical resistance and strong water resistance of the substrate, generally do not use water-based ink.
Epoxy type ink epoxy inks have good resistance and can be used for various types of substrates such as glass, metal, ceramic wood, plastics and others.
Can be divided into two categories: one-component and two-component. One-component inks consist of a thermosetting resin that is baked and not naturally dry. Bicomponents require the addition of a catalyst or hardener, but have the advantages of both natural drying and baking type inks.
An epoxy ink can provide a variety of catalysts to increase adhesion to the substrate. Two-component inks have higher storage conditions than single components. The storage period is the time for judging whether the material is still in use or away from the shelf life. However, it should be noted that epoxy-type solvents do not affect the shelf life.
When metal pigment inks are mounted with metallic inks, metal resin inks must be used. As the metal pigments dry and solidify, they will rise to the surface of the ink and overlap with the ink. This process is called the suspension of the metal particles.
Solvent-based, waterborne, and uv inks have metallic inks. The metallic effect is good on glass and vinyl substrates, but exposure to moisture in the air is prone to oxidation. With uv curable inks, the stability of the ink after mixing is very short. When the thickness of metal pigments such as copper and zinc reaches 10-40 μm, the hiding power is better.
Gold metallic color is not recommended for outdoor exposure because it reduces the effect of metal surfaces. The varnish on the surface helps to protect the metallic pigments. When the metallic color can not reach the desired brightness, the pearlescent fluorescent color can be used instead of the metallic color, but the hiding power of the pearl fluorescent color is not as good as the metallic color.
Plastic, paper and metal inks Plastic, paper and metal inks can be used for advertising and industrial printing.
Plastic ink plastic ink drying method is evaporation, oxidation or polymerization reaction type. Volatile inks are physically linked. Oxidation and polymerization inks are physicochemically linked. Such inks can be used in applications that require strong solvent-resistant thermoplastics, such as PET. Volatile inks can be used for printing such as plexiglass, acetate, butyrate, digested cotton, polyvinyl chloride materials. It can be used for vacuum plastic forming, but it must be checked for weather resistance, exposure to light and high temperature adhesion.
UV drying of PE materials can be completed in seconds. PS, PVC and PE, PP materials need to choose two different ink series.
Thermosetting inks are completed by entering the substrate with heat, typically 180°F for 30 minutes. The advantages of this ink are: the ink will not dry on the screen, the ink can be diluted with water, the screen can be washed with water, and the printing pattern is not easy to fade.
The paper ink ink is easy to use and can be used for coated and uncoated paper, outdoor advertising, signboards, bottles, signs, and cards. Lubricating oil can be added depending on whether or not the ink surface needs lightness. The ink is printed after adding thinner or drying agent, and the leveling property is good. The ink is naturally dry for 15-20 minutes and takes a few seconds to dry. With good hiding power, it can print 1,500 square feet per gallon with a screen mesh of 200-260 T/inch.
Metal ink substrate surface treatment and coating, PET coating and organic glass coating are two basic coatings, to achieve the desired adhesion, the material drying temperature is 265-280 °F. The ink can be naturally dried, heated and dried. Varnish may be applied to metal surfaces by methods such as roller coating, curtain coating, spray coating or printing. Resistant to stamping and forming. Exposure to UV light can be protected by surface varnishes when it will fade.
Nitrated varnishes, ceramics, plexiglass, epoxy, and UV inks can all be used on metals, but inks should be selected based on external weather resistance, chemical resistance, abrasion resistance, and molding requirements.
Understand the type of substrate to choose the right ink, and choose a good ink to get a good printing effect. (From "China Packing & Printing Weekly" JOHN COBURN US)
Professional silk screen printing can produce a variety of printed matter, in which thick film ink is unique, its lightfastness, abrasion resistance, good print resistance, suitable for all types of rigid, flexible printing on the substrate. Therefore, choosing the right ink can achieve the ideal printing effect and the best performance.
In order to help select the right printing ink for different substrates, the characteristics of the following commonly used inks are described as follows:
In the past 10 years, uv inks have had a tremendous impact on the visual media market. Unlike Uv inks and solvent inks and evaporation inks, solvent inks become dry ink films once the solvent evaporates; uv compounds contain oligomers, monomeric polymers, and photoinitiators. Solvent-based ink pack resins, uv inks contain oligomers, which are different from solvent-based ink inclusions. Photopolymers react with other compounds, such as single polymers. The monomeric polymer acts like a solvent, acting as a transfer and providing the necessary tackiness for printing.
Uv ink must be fully cured. The curing process is accomplished by the action of a photoinitiator, which acts as a linker promoting, linking the dispersed molecules and allowing them to polymerize.
Uv ink can be cut, flexed, rubbed, soft, outdoor weather resistance up to 5 years. Uv inks have many advantages over solvent evaporation inks. If the factory does not have 60 feet of gas drying equipment, 8-10 feet of gas drying equipment can be substituted for more economical production. Uv ink printing problems, uv viscosity will not change, the ink does not evaporate, four-color printing easier.
Water-based reduction uv ink Water-based reduction uv ink meets the solid content requirements and is suitable for uncoated paper. Due to the high water content, the thickness of the cured film can be slightly reduced and can be diluted with water and rinsed with water. Water-reduced uv inks require lower uv energy than conventional high solids uv inks. The disadvantage of aqueous reduction uv inks is that they are not easy to handle on light weight paper and porous paper. The buckling that occurs when the paper absorbs water quickly is a common problem. Resin inks need to release water quickly without affecting the cross-linking of the resin.
There is not much room for retrofitting traditional water-based inks. The most widely used area is commercial advertisements, especially for papers with a weight greater than 80 bl. If less than this weight, the printed paper may wrinkle or curl. Other applications: Ethylene and metal substrates. Chemical hardeners are used to improve the external performance, but the need to consider cutting requires consideration of the softness of the ink.
Low performance and high content of ethylene, polyolefin, light weight paper, outdoor weather resistance for a long time, requiring strong chemical resistance and strong water resistance of the substrate, generally do not use water-based ink.
Epoxy type ink epoxy inks have good resistance and can be used for various types of substrates such as glass, metal, ceramic wood, plastics and others.
Can be divided into two categories: one-component and two-component. One-component inks consist of a thermosetting resin that is baked and not naturally dry. Bicomponents require the addition of a catalyst or hardener, but have the advantages of both natural drying and baking type inks.
An epoxy ink can provide a variety of catalysts to increase adhesion to the substrate. Two-component inks have higher storage conditions than single components. The storage period is the time for judging whether the material is still in use or away from the shelf life. However, it should be noted that epoxy-type solvents do not affect the shelf life.
When metal pigment inks are mounted with metallic inks, metal resin inks must be used. As the metal pigments dry and solidify, they will rise to the surface of the ink and overlap with the ink. This process is called the suspension of the metal particles.
Solvent-based, waterborne, and uv inks have metallic inks. The metallic effect is good on glass and vinyl substrates, but exposure to moisture in the air is prone to oxidation. With uv curable inks, the stability of the ink after mixing is very short. When the thickness of metal pigments such as copper and zinc reaches 10-40 μm, the hiding power is better.
Gold metallic color is not recommended for outdoor exposure because it reduces the effect of metal surfaces. The varnish on the surface helps to protect the metallic pigments. When the metallic color can not reach the desired brightness, the pearlescent fluorescent color can be used instead of the metallic color, but the hiding power of the pearl fluorescent color is not as good as the metallic color.
Plastic, paper and metal inks Plastic, paper and metal inks can be used for advertising and industrial printing.
Plastic ink plastic ink drying method is evaporation, oxidation or polymerization reaction type. Volatile inks are physically linked. Oxidation and polymerization inks are physicochemically linked. Such inks can be used in applications that require strong solvent-resistant thermoplastics, such as PET. Volatile inks can be used for printing such as plexiglass, acetate, butyrate, digested cotton, polyvinyl chloride materials. It can be used for vacuum plastic forming, but it must be checked for weather resistance, exposure to light and high temperature adhesion.
UV drying of PE materials can be completed in seconds. PS, PVC and PE, PP materials need to choose two different ink series.
Thermosetting inks are completed by entering the substrate with heat, typically 180°F for 30 minutes. The advantages of this ink are: the ink will not dry on the screen, the ink can be diluted with water, the screen can be washed with water, and the printing pattern is not easy to fade.
The paper ink ink is easy to use and can be used for coated and uncoated paper, outdoor advertising, signboards, bottles, signs, and cards. Lubricating oil can be added depending on whether or not the ink surface needs lightness. The ink is printed after adding thinner or drying agent, and the leveling property is good. The ink is naturally dry for 15-20 minutes and takes a few seconds to dry. With good hiding power, it can print 1,500 square feet per gallon with a screen mesh of 200-260 T/inch.
Metal ink substrate surface treatment and coating, PET coating and organic glass coating are two basic coatings, to achieve the desired adhesion, the material drying temperature is 265-280 °F. The ink can be naturally dried, heated and dried. Varnish may be applied to metal surfaces by methods such as roller coating, curtain coating, spray coating or printing. Resistant to stamping and forming. Exposure to UV light can be protected by surface varnishes when it will fade.
Nitrated varnishes, ceramics, plexiglass, epoxy, and UV inks can all be used on metals, but inks should be selected based on external weather resistance, chemical resistance, abrasion resistance, and molding requirements.
Understand the type of substrate to choose the right ink, and choose a good ink to get a good printing effect. (From "China Packing & Printing Weekly" JOHN COBURN US)
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