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screen printing => 4 Color and Simulated Process Printing => Topic started by: screenprintguy on November 26, 2013, 04:23:50 PM

Title: What is your favorite brand of CMYK inks?
Post by: screenprintguy on November 26, 2013, 04:23:50 PM
I've heard some guys say you get the best CMYK screen prints using Rutlands CMYK combination. What combo do you prefer?
Title: Re: What is your favorite brand of CMYK inks?
Post by: blue moon on November 26, 2013, 04:28:16 PM
I think EVERYBODY I talked to that had extensive experience with 4CP prefered the Union inks. . .

pierre
Title: Re: What is your favorite brand of CMYK inks?
Post by: tpitman on November 26, 2013, 05:31:07 PM
I bought a set of International Coatings Pro-Brite Process colors, and they tend to have a bit more snap to them. They're also not as weird in terms of viscosity and that strange smell the Union Tru-Tones have. Bought them for their non-phtalate property primarily.

That said, the Union 3X process colors work really well with a good white underbase on dark shirts. Running the file through QuikSeps Pro, and punching up the underbase via "Apply Image" in Photoshop, I've gotten really nice prints on dark that are almost dead-on to the monitor view. It's let me do a couple of jobs with more color than the customer could really spring for had I done it with sim process, and they look better (to me anyway).

Regarding the weird Union process color formulation, my yellow bucket top was shot, and I have some plastic jars I bought from Uline that I've been transferring inks to when the original buckets crap the bed. The oil in that Union Tru-Tone leached out and went right through the jar. Never had a problem with any other plastisols in those jars. The yellow lost all of it snotty goodness and I had to get rid of it.
Title: Re: What is your favorite brand of CMYK inks?
Post by: kingscreen on November 26, 2013, 05:34:04 PM
Union.
Title: Re: What is your favorite brand of CMYK inks?
Post by: dirkdiggler on November 26, 2013, 05:46:37 PM
Union TRIPLE strength wins, hands down.
Title: Re: What is your favorite brand of CMYK inks?
Post by: Admiral on November 26, 2013, 08:10:36 PM
Used to use rutland, downsides were hitting reds and some other colors too.  Upside was less buildup.

Union triple strength now, we don't do a whole lot but man it looks better, don't have to worry about highlight colors so much.
Title: Re: What is your favorite brand of CMYK inks?
Post by: screenprintguy on November 26, 2013, 09:20:11 PM
Thanks for all the feedback guys!
Title: Re: What is your favorite brand of CMYK inks?
Post by: mimosatexas on November 26, 2013, 09:27:14 PM
what about for discharge?  Any premixed process discharge inks that people would recommend?
Title: Re: What is your favorite brand of CMYK inks?
Post by: TCT on November 26, 2013, 10:44:16 PM
Union for plastisol. I have the mixtures for doing CMYK discharge with Matsui inks I can find and post, but have not ran a 4CP discharge since we switched to CCI.
Let me know if you want the Matsui formularatios and I'll dig it up and post it.

Sent from my Nexus 5 using Tapatalk

Title: Re: What is your favorite brand of CMYK inks?
Post by: tonypep on November 27, 2013, 06:00:38 AM
For DC Sericols HTs (halftones) however we make our own. Posted a pic last month but no interest apparently
Title: Re: What is your favorite brand of CMYK inks?
Post by: mimosatexas on November 27, 2013, 10:54:55 AM
Union for plastisol. I have the mixtures for doing CMYK discharge with Matsui inks I can find and post, but have not ran a 4CP discharge since we switched to CCI.
Let me know if you want the Matsui formularatios and I'll dig it up and post it.

Sent from my Nexus 5 using Tapatalk

I'd love them!  I use Matsui :)
Title: Re: What is your favorite brand of CMYK inks?
Post by: 3Deep on November 27, 2013, 11:32:21 AM
Union cmyk all the way here, but the smell does tend to get to me, that's why I stop using any type of union white inks.

Darryl
Title: Re: What is your favorite brand of CMYK inks?
Post by: cbjamel on November 27, 2013, 12:27:42 PM
I will agree, Union does have a smell to them. Sometimes a little overwhelming.
Shane
Title: Re: What is your favorite brand of CMYK inks?
Post by: starchild on November 27, 2013, 01:36:04 PM
For DC Sericols HTs (halftones) however we make our own. Posted a pic last month but no interest apparently

I'll bite.. Besides the obvious advantages of using DC- darks,soft hand, flashless, dot gain control?, what benefits are there in the four color process DC? Is it that much more forgiving than the plastisol process?

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Title: Re: What is your favorite brand of CMYK inks?
Post by: tonypep on November 27, 2013, 01:43:23 PM
When executed correctly the end result is continuous tone. The rosettes steam together in a way that plastisol cannot
Title: Re: What is your favorite brand of CMYK inks?
Post by: starchild on November 27, 2013, 02:16:05 PM
Well we also have the options of interlock, overprint or even defusion dots to print process so I was more wondering about consistency in saturation/color mix, maybe because of higher dot control when doing DC.. That alone should be a plus for manual printers. Even with the screen and stencil dialed in, the squeegee's pressure and speed is not predictable..

I don't know.. Just thinking out loud..

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Title: Re: What is your favorite brand of CMYK inks?
Post by: tonypep on November 27, 2013, 02:37:40 PM
Either dot choice will still yield better results with DC. The Pat Benatar photo print is diffusion.
BUT..........I would not try any of this on a manual !!!!!
Title: Re: What is your favorite brand of CMYK inks?
Post by: Colin on November 27, 2013, 03:16:07 PM
Tony,

You talk about rosettes.... rotating your angles.  Is that Necessary for DC CMYK?  DO results differ if we run single angle?  I am assuming you run single angle (or one of several other output options) for your sim-process work correct?