New White Ink Coming Soon

[alan802]

For the last few months I, along with several other shops, have been testing a few versions of white ink.  For longer than that we've been using a halftone/process base and a WOW black ink.  The base and black have performed so great that I'm very confident that the white ink will be top notch as well.  The base is perfect for just about any application, and we've used it to revive some total junk ink that is hard as clay and it has turned the worst ink into premium ink.  One thing I look for in a black ink is the ability to print wet on wet and this black has passed that test impressively.  As long as you're not using really tacky emulsion and too low of mesh counts, the black will not build up on the screens and the longest run I've done with stepping on the black is only 800 pieces, but if it isn't building up after a few hundred it ain't gonna do it later unless something bad happens.

I should have the final version of the white ink on Monday and once I get to testing the ink I'll keep everyone  informed as to how it's running.  So far the last beta batch was really good, actually it was perfect except for the blowing problem once cured.  After figuring out the blowing agent issue this last batch to arrive on Monday should be the final one.  The ink is being made by Joe Clarke and his son Joe Jr, whom we all know here and you can be sure that this ink is going to be different than the normal white ink on the market.  With the knowledge that Joe and Joe Jr have about ink, the printing process and all things textile screen printing they have been able to accomplish something in a short time that could be a game changer when it comes to this strange world of white ink.  So far, the ink is only going to be for cotton shirts, but this ink will be able to perform at higher rates of print speed, low print pressure and a wide range of mesh counts.  I can tell you from testing the ink that it does everything really, really well.  I can't wait to test this last batch and it's flash time and matte down ability.  I know it's going to print really fast, and as long as it flashes fast and has good matte down then this ink will be a winner. 

I'll keep everyone informed as to how this latest batch performs and then what everyone really wants to know is how they can get their sausage fingers on some to try out.  If you're a shop that buys your white ink based on price, with little to no regard to performance this ink may not be for you.  It's going to be a premium white ink that will be able to operate at the outer edges of what most autos can do.  If you do a lot of cotton shirts and are looking for an ink that you can get the most out of then this might be for you. 

[Colin]

Count me in for being interested!

[Squeegie]

Totally interested here as well!

[jvanick]

Richard and I were just talking about this the other day... I'm interested too.

Actually, I'm considering having a white-ink seminar here at my shop, with hands-on demos of how to actually evaluate and test different white ink:

- screen making/eom and it's importance for plastisol printing (demo on press of low eom vs mid/high eom)
- screen tension and it's importance on press (demonstrate orange peel)
- "S"/thin thread mesh vs standard mesh printing demo (manual and auto)
- what makes a good underbase?  -- It doesn't have to be white (and a demo of such)
- proper flashing
- squeegee selection and demonstration.
- white underbase techniques for transparent inks like flourescent and yellows
- 1 hit white
- techniques for fighting fibrilation
- DC underbase
- Troubleshooting (lots of time here, along with techniques, measurements, etc) 

[alan802]

The 5'er showed up this morning and I got a spatula into it right away.  So far, just playing around with it to do the channel cutting test, getting the feel for creaminess and body, it seems fantastic.  It's short, but not too short, it reacts the way it should when I pull the spatula out of the ink slowly then it performs the way it should when you pull the spatula out quickly.  If it can flash fast, give good matte down and how low tack, this will be a no-brainer winner.  I know how everyone's tastes on white ink is as diverse as their taste in women so saying that everyone here will love this ink is not going to be right, but if you have used more than just a few white inks over the years you should be able to see how good this stuff is and be able to get it to perform.  I will be starting some testing in just a few minutes and I'll keep everyone up to date on the results.  I should wait till after testing before I give it some of the praise I did, but there are only a few in the biz that know white ink the way Joe does so I feel confident that he's nailed the formula.



Channel cut:


Fast pull up:

Slow pull up:

[mimosatexas]

let me know if you want any other testers

[Screened Gear]

Alan,

This is a cotton white. Not sure why you would put so much time testing a cotton white. There are a ton of cotton whites out there that perform great. I have used gallons of unions cotton white and it prints smooth at any speed with very little pressure. Cotton whites are not sticky they are very creamy and can print through any screen because they don't have the Low bleed (sticky crap} chemicals in them.

The only reason I don't print more cotton white is it is the same cost as I get my LB white for. Why keep 2 whites inhouse.

[ZooCity]

I was gonna say the same, let me know when the LB version is out and we're in to test.  We don't stock a cotton white, if we're printing cotton it's nearly always DC UB or just DC/WB.   Not the case in a ton of shops though and I bet cotton white is the bigger seller by sheer volume so it makes sense to start there.

[jvanick]

we don't use a 100% cotton ink here either... less than probably 25% of our shirts are 100% cotton, the rest are bleeders (gildan dry blends, canvas, tri-blends, etc)

[sqslabs]

We print roughly 85% cotton tees here, so count me interested.  Looking forward to putting it through the tests against Miami white.

Question:  Is it pthalate free?  Because that would be a plus.

[Colin]

I certainly want a cotton white.

All low bleed inks on the market have blowing agent in them to varying degrees (low bleed poof).

An excellent cotton white should have no noticeable puffing when fully cured.  And that is why I want a good cotton white - a flat print.

[alan802]

Call it a favor for one, next is perhaps we ask more from our white ink than others...I guess that's why.  I've always thought Union Cotton White was the standard for which to start judging a white ink, but it's lacking the opacity and flash time for us, and it's matte down is probably average.  I put a higher need for opacity and matte down due to our style (one-hits, less use of top/highlight whites on jobs, etc) and having an ink that flashes really fast makes things SO much easier when printing PITA high color count spot jobs on darks.  I find cotton inks typically flash longer than LB's and have higher after flash tack which causes all kinds of problems with the goofy jobs we do.

And I'd say that the average large shop here in the states is quite different than the shops here that don't have a high need for a standard cotton white.  And I guess another reason why I'm doing this is so someone might get some benefit out of it and be thankful they didn't have to do it, I just enjoy it for many reasons.

[Screened Gear]

Call it a favor for one, next is perhaps we ask more from our white ink than others...I guess that's why.  I've always thought Union Cotton White was the standard for which to start judging a white ink, but it's lacking the opacity and flash time for us, and it's matte down is probably average.  I put a higher need for opacity and matte down due to our style (one-hits, less use of top/highlight whites on jobs, etc) and having an ink that flashes really fast makes things SO much easier when printing PITA high color count spot jobs on darks.  I find cotton inks typically flash longer than LB's and have higher after flash tack which causes all kinds of problems with the goofy jobs we do.

And I'd say that the average large shop here in the states is quite different than the shops here that don't have a high need for a standard cotton white.  And I guess another reason why I'm doing this is so someone might get some benefit out of it and be thankful they didn't have to do it, I just enjoy it for many reasons.

Alan all good points. I hope you didn't take my post as you are wasting your time. I didn't mean it that way. Any time you can test an ink and get your shop familiar with what you can do with it is a plus. I love testing products but as I have said in the past. Each shop is different and each ink needs a special set up to print well. You have things you look for in a ink, you mentioned them earlier. Is that based on what make an ink good or is that the variables that fit your shops print style. I have printed tons of LB white inks, they all print great when you get your press dialed in for them. Some are more forgiving then others but they all do the job. Keep up the good work. One of these days I will be in Texas and come see you. My brother lives about 30 mins from you.

[ZooCity]

I certainly want a cotton white.

All low bleed inks on the market have blowing agent in them to varying degrees (low bleed poof).

An excellent cotton white should have no noticeable puffing when fully cured.  And that is why I want a good cotton white - a flat print.

An excellent point!  I deal with that fact as the blowing agents in Quick seem less pronounced to me but you're right, it's there and plasti white prints would indeed look and feel better if a cotton white was used where appropriate.

[Colin]

And that is exactly what I can do in my shop Chris.

Cotton white on cotton shirts.

Low bleed ink on blends.

The ONLY time a mistake was ever made was by a "short term" employee who put cotton ink into a low bleed bucket... Only issue in 3 years.