Glad your here too John, would love to talk about Unions white inks that I don't use, but use every other union ink.
Thank you sir,
The new whites are pretty exciting. The information I'll provide you below is a mixture of our corporate message and my impressions as a printer.
The theme of these inks would be that they have a satin style hand, print with lower pressure and clear the screen better than most inks of this opacity. On an M&R your average pressure is between 25-35 PSI. We have found that a 60/90/60 or 55/95/55 squeegee will produce the best finish. These inks are also priced to be more competitive while still providing the quality that our customers associate with Union.
The Lunar Cotton white PADE1040 is optically brighter and does not have that yellowish tinge to it in the bucket.
The Eclipse Low Bleed PLHE1060 is a go-to low bleed that clears the screen easier than Diamond White. Diamond white will still be a must have tool to have in your back pocket for nightmare garments but Eclipse is more of your day-to-day workhorse. This is my favorite ink to do side by side print tests with. It clears the screen better than any of the traditional low-bleeds of similar opacity that I have tested so far.
Mercury Low Bleed PLHE1050 is a really interesting product that I feel is another important tool for any custom shop. This is a non-traditional low bleed in that it has a different chemistry that does not utilize blowing agents. The hand and matte down are amazing. When printed properly you can get a hand and opacity that could pass for a high end water-base. We refer to Mercury as our "boutique" style ink.
Speaking printer to printer, I have customers that love this ink on tri-blends because of it's fiber matte down and fast flash. I also have customers that have replaced their athletic white with Mercury- but I cannot yet verify the success of that choice. It is not as strong a dye blocker as Eclipse or Diamond, but this product definately has value to custom shops.
Cosmic White ATHP1060 is our low temp poly ink. It cures at 280 degrees. Really nice hand, terrific low temp dye migration resistance and I feel it clears the screen better than any true poly ink I have tested so far. There is a companion under base grey that prints with a much lower profile than your regular under base greys. It's much smoother as well. Many of my customers choose to print with out the UB grey while a couple of my athletic printers have made it S.O.P. I think everyone should have at least a quart on hand to solve problems when you are up against deadlines.
Again, Printer to printer- the only thing I would caution you about is that these inks need to be stirred up in the bucket before you load your screen. It's not a separation issue- they just need sheer to get started. Some customers have reported that Mercury and Eclipse will climb the flood bar right out of the bucket during cold weather. This is why we suggest a good stir or even allowing the bucket to warm up on top of the dryer if your shop conditions allow for it.
Let me know if there is anything more I can provide you.
John Magee
