screen printing > Ink and Chemicals

Ink made for 100% cotton

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tpitman:
I've kept Union's Bright Cotton White around for years. It doesn't have the opacity of QCM 158 but it sure prints easy. A great ink for white on medium color shirts or underbasing. The last batch of QCM158 came in quite a bit thicker than usual, and on a long run I had few months ago, I ended up using over 2 gallons of a white ink manufactured locally as J&S Ink and sold my my local TW Graphics shop. Through a 158 mesh it yields the smoothest print I've ever gotten. More opaque than the Bright Cotton White, but almost as easy to print.
I don't print a lot of blends, but I was using the QCM158 because it printed so well until I got the last batch. The J&S isn't a squeegie climber like the QCM.

Denis Kolar:

--- Quote from: Shanarchy on June 09, 2011, 11:25:53 AM ---DK, I was in the same mind frame a few months back. The vast majority of my printing is 100% cotton other than hoodies and a rare job on customer requested 50/50's.

I always used QXM 158 (xolb)

I bought a gallon of Wilflex Epic white (cotton only)

I found it to flow better. A one hit white was VERY close to being passable. However, I have not tried the Epic quick white (lb) to see how they compare. A Wilflex rep at a show told me they will print identical. I will buy a gallon and find out. What I do know is it is $15 less for a gallon and prints great.

Keep in mind my experience with this is on the manual as I have not done much side by side comparison on the auto. And at the point the ink crawl up the squeegee will also play a big factor in my decision process.



--- End quote ---

I did try QCM 158 and 159 and they seemed a bit stiff and hard to print on manual.

Sparkie:
I've been using QCM 158 for about 2 years and find it creamy and easy to work with. Depending on substrate and art, I've used it on 86, 110, 137, and 156 mesh. It does tend to build up/climb the squeegee, but all in all it gives me great results on 50/50's, which is 90% of my orders.

Since I now have an automatic, I will be trying the QCM 159 and expect the same, if not better, results.

Dennis, other than not being creamy enough, are there any other reasons you shying away from low bleed white?

Denis Kolar:

--- Quote from: Sparkie on June 09, 2011, 02:18:08 PM ---Dennis, other than not being creamy enough, are there any other reasons you shying away from low bleed white?

--- End quote ---

I wanted something that it is easier to print. If there is no issues with the bleed why to pay extra to have a LB ink? The ink is cheaper. And I'm a small manual shop, and I think that it would be a problem if I had to clean up the ink if I had to switch from a 100% to a 50/50 shirts.

I do not want to stay away from it, I just do not want to use it somewhere where I do not need to.

Sparkie:
I hear what you are saying Dennis, but what about that one job where the client insists on 50/50. You now have to buy low bleed ink and instead of saving money on 1 gallon of 100% cotton only ink, you are now shelling out more money for a second gallon of low bleed.

If you can stick your guns and print on 100% cotton only, then you are on the right track.

If you are having problems with low bleed white such as QCM 158, then maybe the problem is in the mesh, defective ink, room /ink temp, squeegee pressure/angle.

Next time you're in Lakewood, give me a call. You are more than welcome to stop in and try white in my shop. I'll also let you borrow my donut probe to check your dryer temps. :)

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