Keeping a house/on hand color selection

[Shecki]

I'm fairly new to waterbased printing. Been using it here and there for a couple of years. Only on jobs that really could use it or request it. Well...I'd like to move a little more to it....but I'm curious about keeping colors on hand. Are you guys keeping colors on hand with both a standard base and a discharge base? Or can you just stock a discharge base and use that to print on light color garments and not add activator?

Would like to keep about 20 colors on hand in gallons so I don't have to mix every time I need a particular ink color. Any advice or input is greatly appreciated!

[tonypep]

We keep about 120 colors on hand unactivated. All formulation recipies documented and swatched in several master color books. Several base formulations are used depending on hue and opacity.

[Shecki]

So 120 pigments is what you're talking about? Or do you keep them in stock mixed in various bases? That'd make several hundred if you keep, let's say, the same Pantone red on hand in 4 or 5 different bases.

[tonypep]

Most can get by with a single system of 12-14pigs. Pavonine had/has several more. Sorry can't elaborate much more.