TEXTILE INKS: Bases, Pigments & Fixative

TEXTILE INKS: Bases, Pigments & Fixative

BASES: AQUAprint Base, HANDpaint Base, Colorbrite Opaque Base, Opaque Base, Metallic Base, Flexi Opaque White.

AQUAprint Base: Ideal screen printing base for printing on light colour fabrics as a spot colour or halftone. Recommended mesh count 32 - 62 mesh.

HANDpaint Base: Ideal for hand painting on fabrics or Screen Printing base onto toweling (as it is a slightly thinner base and contains more fixative). Recommended mesh: 32 – 77 mesh.

Colorbrite Base: Recommended for printing on dark fabrics and overalls as this mock opaque base gives a bright colour print at a lower cost. The opacity (brightness) is achieved AFTER curing (it looks dull when wet, but darkens after curing/ironing). You may have to print once, flash dry and print again to achieve the desired opacity (brightness). Recommended mesh: 32 – 54 mesh.

Opaque Base: Recommended for printing on dark fabrics and overalls. Add 2-3% pigment. Not suitable for red or yellow ink. You may have to print once, flash dry and print again to achieve the desired opacity (brightness). Recommended mesh: 32 – 54 mesh.

Metallic Base: Recommended when printing with metallic powders as the base will not “rust” the powder and the base has a good adhesion (glue) for fixing the powder to the fabric. Recommended mesh: 32 – 48 mesh.

Flexi-Opaque White Base: Ideal Screen Printing base for printing on dark fabrics. This ready mixed ink is best printed through a screen mesh of 32 to 36 for best results. You may need to print several times for best results (opacity/brightness) either wet-on-wet or wet-on-dry (after flash drying the ink before applying a second coat). Recommended mesh: 32 – 43 mesh.

WATERBASED PIGMENTS:
Black, White, Fire Red, Royal Blue, Yellow, Green, Rubine, Violet, and Cyan, Magenta & Process Yellow

METALLIC POWDERS:
Gold & Silver

FIXATIVE:

Add 2-5% of FIXATIVE to INK if the ink is to be used on fabric containing more than 50% polyester or nylon, as this will give the ink an additional “bite” onto the fabric.

Mixing instructions:

With our WATERBASED bases pigments can be added on a 2-3% ratio (e.g. 970 g AQUAprint + 30 g pigment = INK). Different pigments can be added together to make a third colour (e.g. 25 g Yellow + 5 g Fire Red = 30 g Orange). Do not exceed the 3% ratio of pigment without adding additional FIXATIVE.

If you are using measuring cups and spoons: 4 cups base + 6 flat teaspoons pigment = 1 kg of INK
(1 cup = 250 ml and 1 teaspoon = 5ml)

When mixing ink for CMYK (process colours for half-tone printing) add 1.5% Process Magenta, Process Black or Process Yellow and 2% Process Cyan. These colours can be adjusted after a test is made. Add additional base if the print colour is too strong or additional pigment if the print is too week. Keep a record of how you have adjusted the colour in a recipe book.

Add FIXATIVE if the ink is to be used on fabric containing a high percentage of polyester or nylon.

Industrial Heat Press
(time, pressure and temperature controlled)