Ratios and percentages have me confused

[redwoodtees]

I am mixing some ink and I am confused by the instructions.
The instructions for the ink (virus discharge special white) are as follows:
Base: 100
Activator: 10
Fixer: 4-8%
Retarder: 3-5%
(Don't quote me on those percentages, they are from memory.. But they will suffice for this discussion)

OK, so lets say I start with 100g of base. I will of course add 16g of activator. Now I have 116g of stuff.
To that 116g, do I add 4-8g of fixer (based on 100g), or am I adding 4.6 - 9.28g of fixer (based on 116g)?
And same question for the retarder.. the weight of the stuff i am adding to changes with every addition, making me confused about how to compute the amount to add.

So how do you do it?

And.. Yes, I realize that I am splitting hairs and it probably does not matter very much on way or the other. I will just let it go. Put it out of my mind and get on with life. That's what I will do. Just stop thinking about it. Simple enough. .....Nope, can't do it! This is why I never get anything done.

Chris

[jvanick]

I always go based on the original number of the base plus pigments.  Any additives are based on the original number, not the total.

[Screened Gear]

I have always gone from the total grams of ink that I am making. So if I say I want 300 grams of product then the formula work out to 300 grams base and pigments. The fixer and retarder and activator is after that and add to the total grams of the finished product. So 5 percent activator is 15 grams added to 300 grams of base and pigment gets you 315 grams of ink. (your fixer and retarder (I don't use) would also be calculated off the 300 grams of base and pigments.

I use CCI discharge and this is how there formulas are.

[mooseman]

High school was the best 7 years of my life and I have not been to college yet but my guess would be every thing should work off the base number in any such formula.
two reasons......the ratios or percentages of the added elements would change relative to each other let alone the base
and you would definitely (for the previous reason) always need instructions to tell you what sequence to contribute the additives
mooseman

[blue moon]

Ask the manufacturer or the distributer. Some are based on numbers and some based on percentages. Make sure you get a clarification from somebody who knows what is the case with your ink.
Pierre
P. S.  It is also possible that activator is based on the numbers and fixer is based on percentage!