Manual Shops?

[Redeemed]

I have searched the forum about solid 100% Cotton whites for manual screen printing to find almost nothing. My question is what are the better 100% cotton inks out there best used on a manual press and yes I know a lot is to take into consideration like what screens are used squeegees ETC. but i'm just wanting to know about just GOOD INK PLEASE!

I was thinking of NexGen Cotton White but I see its better used for Automatics so that's out, I think. I am also looking into Union Bright Cotton White 1027 or 1030 but have heard both good and bad but from old posts! Wilflex Sprint white is looking good but really haven't heard any manual guys out there speak on it or so I think. Any help from manual printers will be greatly appreciated!!

I am also Interested in Brands for good blacks and Poly whites for Manual Printing from Manual printers, Thanks again.

[Frog]

I print manually, using mostly Union inks, and a few International Coatings. Right now, I'm using Union's Bright Cotton White 1027, and am pretty happy with it.
Black and many other colors are Union Ultra Soft. I add some soft base with them except for the few times I need a thicker ink to hold especially sharp, fine detail.
I also use the Mixopake system.

As for Poly, to take liberties with another quote, "Machete don't do poly white!" (except for Sport Tek PosiCharge)
I need it so seldom, I don't bother. I am in the twilight of my career, and somewhat cherry picking what I do, and am more than happy if they go elsewhere. May not work for you.

[Redeemed]

I print manually, using mostly Union inks, and a few International Coatings. Right now, I'm using Union's Bright Cotton White 1027, and am pretty happy with it.
Black and many other colors are Union Ultra Soft. I add some soft base with them except for the few times I need a thicker ink to hold especially sharp, fine detail.
I also use the Mixopake system.

As for Poly, to take liberties with another quote, "Machete don't do poly white!" (except for Sport Tek PosiCharge)
I need it so seldom, I don't bother. I am in the twilight of my career, and somewhat cherry picking what I do, and am more than happy if they go elsewhere. May not work for you.

Thanks for the info! What kind of curing times are you seeing with the Bright Cotton White and do you have to reduce it down at all Ive heard it can be a little to thick?

[XG Print]

We are 100% manual here and my go to for white is Next Gen Cotton.  I push it through good 155 or 156S mesh and it makes for an incredibly good and easy print.  I am also a huge fan of the Next Gen Poly white.  It is really great ink for a manual or auto.  It may want to climb the squeege a bit but you will figure out how to keep it down on the blade.  I highly recommend.  As for colors we use alot of International coatings and QCM colors but we have been loving the Wilflex Top Score colors as of late on the temp sensitive garments.  As for squeeges we are 75/90/75 on just about everything around here.  Sometimes we drop down to the 65/90/65 on poly white.  Good Luck...We need an auto so bad it hurts right now as I look at over 2500 pcs on my floor in the shop :-(

[Frog]

I print manually, using mostly Union inks, and a few International Coatings. Right now, I'm using Union's Bright Cotton White 1027, and am pretty happy with it.
Black and many other colors are Union Ultra Soft. I add some soft base with them except for the few times I need a thicker ink to hold especially sharp, fine detail.
I also use the Mixopake system.

As for Poly, to take liberties with another quote, "Machete don't do poly white!" (except for Sport Tek PosiCharge)
I need it so seldom, I don't bother. I am in the twilight of my career, and somewhat cherry picking what I do, and am more than happy if they go elsewhere. May not work for you.

Thanks for the info! What kind of curing times are you seeing with the Bright Cotton White and do you have to reduce it down at all Ive heard it can be a little to thick?

Cure times from one garment to another and one type of dryer to another, don't really translate too accurately. This Union, cures about the same as any of a dozen or so whites I've used over the last ten or fifteen years. And no, no reducing, pretty much a light stir and it's smooth and creamy and very printable, usually through standard 156 mesh.

[Redeemed]

We are 100% manual here and my go to for white is Next Gen Cotton.  I push it through good 155 or 156S mesh and it makes for an incredibly good and easy print.  I am also a huge fan of the Next Gen Poly white.  It is really great ink for a manual or auto.  It may want to climb the squeege a bit but you will figure out how to keep it down on the blade.  I highly recommend.  As for colors we use alot of International coatings and QCM colors but we have been loving the Wilflex Top Score colors as of late on the temp sensitive garments.  As for squeeges we are 75/90/75 on just about everything around here.  Sometimes we drop down to the 65/90/65 on poly white.  Good Luck...We need an auto so bad it hurts right now as I look at over 2500 pcs on my floor in the shop :-(

I'm surprised about the NexGen ink working so well, I have heard a lot of great things about it but mostly from Automatic users. Even on the NexGen site its said to work best at faster speeds. I have been calling NexGen for the last Two days on and off but cant get through to anyone Ive even sent a email and still NO response!! 

All my colors are From Wilflex Rio MIxing System.

[screenxpress]

I am in the twilight of my career, and somewhat cherry picking what I do, and am more than happy if they go elsewhere.

Dude, welcome to the club 

BTW, I also had been using Union Bright Cotton White (1027) for years and only recently started using Green Galaxy Meteor White with very nice results (for cotton shirts only)

Amazing.  I'm starting to resemble my grandpa icon more and more....

[Redeemed]

We are 100% manual here and my go to for white is Next Gen Cotton.  I push it through good 155 or 156S mesh and it makes for an incredibly good and easy print.  I am also a huge fan of the Next Gen Poly white.  It is really great ink for a manual or auto.  It may want to climb the squeege a bit but you will figure out how to keep it down on the blade.  I highly recommend.  As for colors we use alot of International coatings and QCM colors but we have been loving the Wilflex Top Score colors as of late on the temp sensitive garments.  As for squeeges we are 75/90/75 on just about everything around here.  Sometimes we drop down to the 65/90/65 on poly white.  Good Luck...We need an auto so bad it hurts right now as I look at over 2500 pcs on my floor in the shop :-(

I'm surprised about the NexGen ink working so well, I have heard a lot of great things about it but mostly from Automatic users. Even on the NexGen site its said to work best at faster speeds. I have been calling NexGen for the last Two days on and off but cant get through to anyone Ive even sent a email and still NO response!! 

All my colors are From Wilflex Rio MIxing System.

I'm addressing this comment I made earlier about NexGen not getting back to me.

I just got off the phone with Joe Clark and he apologized for missing my calls, we had a good talk about his Cotton and Poly Whites and they seem to be something I may Be adding to my Business. I will know for sure after I put to Use the Two Quarts (One of each) That he is giving me to sample, what a great guy!! I really hope this ink works out for me it would be nice to have only two white inks as my go too.

[XG Print]

We are 100% manual here and my go to for white is Next Gen Cotton.  I push it through good 155 or 156S mesh and it makes for an incredibly good and easy print.  I am also a huge fan of the Next Gen Poly white.  It is really great ink for a manual or auto.  It may want to climb the squeege a bit but you will figure out how to keep it down on the blade.  I highly recommend.  As for colors we use alot of International coatings and QCM colors but we have been loving the Wilflex Top Score colors as of late on the temp sensitive garments.  As for squeeges we are 75/90/75 on just about everything around here.  Sometimes we drop down to the 65/90/65 on poly white.  Good Luck...We need an auto so bad it hurts right now as I look at over 2500 pcs on my floor in the shop :-(

I'm surprised about the NexGen ink working so well, I have heard a lot of great things about it but mostly from Automatic users. Even on the NexGen site its said to work best at faster speeds. I have been calling NexGen for the last Two days on and off but cant get through to anyone Ive even sent a email and still NO response!! 

All my colors are From Wilflex Rio MIxing System.

Yeah honestly I have only called them once but when I order they always get my stuff shipped that day as long as I order before lunch. If you do get a chance to talk with them they will tell you to get the Magic product to add to the Next Gen cotton for manual printing but I have been able to do just fine without it.
I would like to try it one day. I have tried a bunch of whites and it is going to be tough to pull me away from the Nex Gen cotton. Very creamy - the Magic is supposed to keep the ink from climbing the Squeegie I think. I would give a gallon a try and see what you think. All inks are gonna be different from shop to shop depending on your individual variables !! 

[Nation03]

NexGen is good on manual or auto. I've used on both and it's a nice ink. I mainly use Wilflex Lava Perfect White or IC Legacy white. Work well on the manual or an auto.

[Redeemed]

Thanks to everyone that's chimed in to give helpful information!

[bryanprints]

Never had a problem with Wilflex Sprint White.  Creamy and easy to print. 

[whitewater]

We use the Union 1030 out of the can with a good stir.  (for cotton)

For poly we used union poly white and find its horrible.. so we use wilflex for that.

[Dottonedan]

We are 100% manual here and my go to for white is Next Gen Cotton.  I push it through good 155 or 156S mesh and it makes for an incredibly good and easy print.  I am also a huge fan of the Next Gen Poly white.  It is really great ink for a manual or auto.  It may want to climb the squeege a bit but you will figure out how to keep it down on the blade.  I highly recommend.  As for colors we use alot of International coatings and QCM colors but we have been loving the Wilflex Top Score colors as of late on the temp sensitive garments.  As for squeeges we are 75/90/75 on just about everything around here.  Sometimes we drop down to the 65/90/65 on poly white.  Good Luck...We need an auto so bad it hurts right now as I look at over 2500 pcs on my floor in the shop :-(

I'm surprised about the NexGen ink working so well, I have heard a lot of great things about it but mostly from Automatic users. Even on the NexGen site its said to work best at faster speeds. I have been calling NexGen for the last Two days on and off but cant get through to anyone Ive even sent a email and still NO response!! 

All my colors are From Wilflex Rio MIxing System.

They are not a big ink Co. but provide exceptional inks. they are mostly ran by Joe Clark Sr and Joe Clark JR.  they try to take orders via the site and get back to people when they can.

[domineight]

Not strictly a cotton white, but I've used QCM XOLB-158 for a long long time now. It tends to climb the squeegee a little being such a 'short' ink, but it gives me exactly what I need.
I run it on an auto too albeit slower because it has the tendency to not flood/scape well.