Looking for the ultimate phthalate free white ink

[Rockers]

Have gone now through most of QCM`s white and they don`t really cut it. Most of them we find too thick and climbing up the squeegee really fast which is a pain if you work alone on an automatic.
Would someone be so kind and point me in the right direction for a good phthalate free white. I used to love the Union PADM 1020 which was just their standard white but I have just seen now they do a phthalate free white called PADE 1027 bright cotton white, has anyone used that or can tell me anything about it. How are the Wilflex phthalate free whites?

[Inkworks]

We cut in a little softee base on the QCM whites for the auto, XOLB or WOW whites, so far so good.

[Rockers]

Sounds good. No problems with the opacity?

[Frog]

Many of us are happy with the Streetfighter whites from Rutland, and Miami Screen Supply has a bunch of new fans for their ink. Both the cotton and low bleed Rutland SF are phthalate free. but you do have to specify on the Miami.
There are a couple of recent threads about these here.

[ZooCity]

Used 159 for years. Great ink but wildly inconsistent. Had to add varying amounts of curable reducer, depending on the batch and cut each new bucket into the old one.

Been using Wilflex Epic Quick for awhile now and it is excellent- perfectly consistent, does not climb, requires no modification, soft, rubbery, matte finish.  Not quite as opaque/bright as 159 but the other characteristics make up for that.  Biggest downside is the price and having to purchase from suppliers I don't care for so much.

Warming your ink before printing will make a very big difference, especially with white.  Have you tried this with the 159?

[Rockers]

Used 159 for years. Great ink but wildly inconsistent. Had to add varying amounts of curable reducer, depending on the batch and cut each new bucket into the old one.

Been using Wilflex Epic Quick for awhile now and it is excellent- perfectly consistent, does not climb, requires no modification, soft, rubbery, matte finish.  Not quite as opaque/bright as 159 but the other characteristics make up for that.  Biggest downside is the price and having to purchase from suppliers I don't care for so much.

Warming your ink before printing will make a very big difference, especially with white.  Have you tried this with the 159?

How do you warm your white?

[Frog]

Only an issue in the winter for me but I usually
1.store it in a warm room overnight

When that was not an option, I have
2. used a box with a lamp fixture and smallish incandecent bulb
or
3. set the bucket on the dryer
or
4. set it in a larger bucket with water and a fish tank heater.

[Denis Kolar]

For warming up:
http://www.shagtools.com/tools/Barwalt-Eggbeater-Mixing-Paddle-16-EB30.cfm?Partner=Froogle16-EB30
Attach the paddle to the drill and have at it

I vote for Streetfighter too.

[Inkworks]

Sounds good. No problems with the opacity?

No, we can compensate with mesh selection, squeegee durometer and angle. We usually run 2 whites anyways so it hasn't beeen a big problem, mind you most of our customers like a soft-hand print over super thick deposits anyways.

[ZooCity]

We use Frog's #3 to warm ink. 

Stir after warming but don't overstir!  I forget the fancy pants technical term for this but the white pigments will do something weird if over worked by stirring or even on long runs and the rheology shifts.  I believe this is a large part of why many auto users, and even some of us manual printers, print white so slowly at times when a faster stroke is typically more beneficial.

[JBLUE]

We use Frog's #3 to warm ink. 

Stir after warming but don't overstir!  I forget the fancy pants technical term for this but the white pigments will do something weird if over worked by stirring or even on long runs and the rheology shifts.  I believe this is a large part of why many auto users, and even some of us manual printers, print white so slowly at times when a faster stroke is typically more beneficial.

The technical term is shear. This happens with other Wilflex inks as well. With Quick White it will lose opacity at around 130 degrees if I remember right and come back when it gets above that and below. Thats the only flaw I have with it. Other than that its good to go.

[ZooCity]

We use Frog's #3 to warm ink. 

Stir after warming but don't overstir!  I forget the fancy pants technical term for this but the white pigments will do something weird if over worked by stirring or even on long runs and the rheology shifts.  I believe this is a large part of why many auto users, and even some of us manual printers, print white so slowly at times when a faster stroke is typically more beneficial.

The technical term is shear. This happens with other Wilflex inks as well. With Quick White it will lose opacity at around 130 degrees if I remember right and come back when it gets above that and below. Thats the only flaw I have with it. Other than that its good to go.

Ah, that sounds familiar.  I think it's something to do with the shape of the pigments being prone to stack together on a micro level and then they won't pass through mesh.  130˚F is pretty hot. 

[ScreenFoo]

I think the term you're looking for is 'dilatant flow'--the ink increases in viscosity because of applied shearing force...

[ZooCity]

I think the term you're looking for is 'dilatant flow'--the ink increases in viscosity because of applied shearing force...

Yes, that's it!  Now I have another technical screen printing term back in the quiver so I can continue to sound like a total freak when talking to my co-workers.