Rutland M3 sticky ink colors

[im_mcguire]

Hey guys.  So, I have been having some issues with my M3 inks.  When I print, depending on the color, mostly blues, reds, and yellows, if I throw a quick flash on them, they are crazy sticky, and seem to pop off of the back of the next screen.

I just ran a job where the ink was so tacky, it lifted the shirt from the platen.  This was a white base flashed red flashed, then a blue as the last color.

Is there an additive I could add to these inks to help combat this issue?  I use silicone spray, but it doesn't seem to last long before it sticks again.

Any help would be appreciated.

Thank you!

[Colin]

What you are seeing are the properties of the pigments themselves.

Plus - potentially - some additives that will add to the tack such as oil based fillers, extra plasticisers, etc...

There is a fast flash resin you can add.  However you would have to find a distributor - or - ink company that actually will sell it.

Possible fixes:

1) lay down as little ink as possible.  Thin layers flash better and then cool off faster.

2) Flash longer - I know counterintuitive and problematic for other reasons - but getting the chemistry to a point where it cross links more ( the resins soak up more of the plasticisers and fillers) reduces the tack, because the reason for the tack is gone.

3) Create a rougher base plate (can be done by creating a halftoned base or just not using a smoothing screen).  This is so the next screen in sequence - the one that would stick - will  be printing on top of peaks and valleys.  Not on top of a smooth sheet of plastic.  Its the smooth sheet that can amplify tack issues.

4) Change your ink print order.  Some colors of course have more tack than others.  Reds are worst followed by yellows.

5) FANS!  As many as you can get!!!!!

Hope this helps!

[Frog]

5) FANS!  As many as you can get!!!!!

Mcguire, haven't I mentioned to you before that cool down stations, or even fans between stations can be invaluable? This lesson comes from my days with a single station manual that got hot and sticky and prompted me to literally wave a hand fan after the swing-overflash operation.

[im_mcguire]

5) FANS!  As many as you can get!!!!!

Mcguire, haven't I mentioned to you before that cool down stations, or even fans between stations can be invaluable? This lesson comes from my days with a single station manual that got hot and sticky and prompted me to literally wave a hand fan after the swing-overflash operation.

I tried both ways of printing.  With a long flash, and a cool (we have a flashback with the high powered fans) and I also let it sit for a good 5 minutes before moving on, and still had tack problems.  Im sure I need to look at my seps a little more, but I have had this issue ever since i started printing on a automatic.  And the reason for the flash, is because I am still not comfortable with butt registration.  Ill move closer to that, but with the job in question, I had a red that butted up against a blue.  I had a 1 pt stroke, and obviously wow printing caused to to mix together...

[RICK STEFANICK]

I'm assuming your running a quality white ink for your base white (we use wilfex epic quick) It is a decent non glossy white, Glossy whites are a nightmare with the long bodied M3 inks. we run 230's overprinting with m3's. also we add about 5% chino base . Especially to the yellows. I hate the M3 printability but we run so little plastisol we wont use it all up in the next 2 years.