reflective ink examples

[Dottonedan]

Wow,  this worked great!  I had Pierre print these for me. We first did a 2 color logo a few months back but thought we'd take it up a step. This is an example of the reflective ink. Pierre researched a few companies. He can fill you in on the results. This looks like it will work great, but I wonder how it hold up wash after wash.

[Sbrem]

It does, but unless you have a flashlight stapled to your head, it's not all that great. I've found most of my customers highly unimpressed when they find out the light has to be at just the right angle. Just sayin'...

Steve

[Dottonedan]

I'm aware of that part. With this order, it's for a Parking Lot team that uses them at night. Headlights shine on them and it's perfect in this situation. Good feedback tho, It's true. Hard to sell a product when it only shows the benefit "part time".  I remember doingt he ASI shows and I ahd to pour hot water from an electric burner (all day) to show the passers by that the mug changed colors or reveals the hidden imprint when you pour hot water in it. Sheeesh.  It did draw people in to the booth tho. It's a good eye candy at shows.

[ZooCity]

I like it.  What's the ink, the print method?  I want details dammit. 

Always wanted to do some work with this for our retail line, have a real specific thing in mind for it, but never had the time to R&D or was able to subdue the cheap-ass in me when it came time to buy the ink.  That stuff is not cheap. 

Presumably, you just treat these inks like any other particle-carrying plastisol?  That is, ensure your mesh openings (in real life, not on paper) can easily pass the particles and carrier base together and then find some way to cure the imprint effectively without scorching the shirt?

I would hope that true reflective inks are carried by low-cure temp base.

[blue moon]

I like it.  What's the ink, the print method?  I want details dammit. 

Always wanted to do some work with this for our retail line, have a real specific thing in mind for it, but never had the time to R&D or was able to subdue the cheap-ass in me when it came time to buy the ink.  That stuff is not cheap. 

Presumably, you just treat these inks like any other particle-carrying plastisol?  That is, ensure your mesh openings (in real life, not on paper) can easily pass the particles and carrier base together and then find some way to cure the imprint effectively without scorching the shirt?

I would hope that true reflective inks are carried by low-cure temp base.

Optilux 507, the same one I wrote about before. $80 for a quart and it uses a catalyst, which once you mix in, is only good for 8 hours (I mixed only a part of the quart, but in the end, it is still a lot more expensive than the regular ink).
110 screen, NO UNDERBASE allowed. We had to stroke it twice to get enough of the glass beads to get through.  I seem to remember Keith saying not to stroke it twice so we tried to do it with one swipe, but it looked so much better if hit again (no flash!).
The ink coverage is very, very translucent. I tried several colored shirts and it does not look very good as a standalone color. It looks AWESOME on black though!!!

pierre

[Sbrem]

My partner had an idea some years ago for people walking their dogs, and when the light hit it, it was outstanding. But if they are looking at it in normal room light, it's like "Where's the Beef?". But if the customer is on board, then it's relatively easy to print, 110 as Pierre said, we use the Wilflex Image-Brite, no catalyst, print and cure.

Steve

[Doug B]

But if they are looking at it in normal room light, it's like "Where's the Beef?"

 True. I add a little Wilflex metalic silver to Union FlashBack. The metalic decreases the
reflective property, so I add to that a little scooper of 3M beads. Two hits through an 86
and you are good to go day or night.

[Command-Z]

It does, but unless you have a flashlight stapled to your head, it's not all that great. I've found most of my customers highly unimpressed when they find out the light has to be at just the right angle. Just sayin'...

I used to work for a company that made high-vis safety gear, among other things...

That's how most high-vis stuff works. It's supposed to show up very bright in car headlights, but dim grey in indirect light. Like those strips of material on safety vests, those reflective bits on some running shoes, the vinyl material most street signs are printed with nowadays, etc...

Is this stuff up to ANSI standards for safety wear, for like road crews and such? If so, I can see this as being awesome for people who print for construction or emergency-related clients.

[blue moon]

It does, but unless you have a flashlight stapled to your head, it's not all that great. I've found most of my customers highly unimpressed when they find out the light has to be at just the right angle. Just sayin'...

I used to work for a company that made high-vis safety gear, among other things...

That's how most high-vis stuff works. It's supposed to show up very bright in car headlights, but dim grey in indirect light. Like those strips of material on safety vests, those reflective bits on some running shoes, the vinyl material most street signs are printed with nowadays, etc...

Is this stuff up to ANSI standards for safety wear, for like road crews and such? If so, I can see this as being awesome for people who print for construction or emergency-related clients.

the stuff is crazy bright, but I am pretty sure it is not ANSI approved. My understanding is that it is about 30% brighter than the next best thing . . .

pierre

[Frog]

I would think that since application of a material like this is subject to and prone to great variance, it could not get blanket approval.

[Sbrem]

I don't think it is ANSI approved either. I guess the sewn on tape takes care of that if it's absolutely needed, though it does limit printability. Less landscape to work with so to speak...

Steve

[H. Nelson]

It does, but unless you have a flashlight stapled to your head, it's not all that great. I've found most of my customers highly unimpressed when they find out the light has to be at just the right angle. Just sayin'...

Steve

I fully agree with you cause today's customer think must more that yesterdays customer. They research every thing before buy...