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screen printing => Ink and Chemicals => Topic started by: Shanarchy on October 07, 2014, 05:19:31 PM
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I use Miami Superior white. I like it. It's a cotton only white. 80% of what I print is 100% cotton. And it's cheap.
I was stocking QCM XOLB 158 for 50/50's and a poly white for 100% poly and heavy bleeders.
I ran the QCM out and have been using Miami Poly white on anything that has poly in it. I don't like it.
Ideally I'd like to stock 2 inks, one for cotton and one for poly and poly blends. Is there a poly white that is prints real nice? I like the idea of using poly ink on anything that would have the chance of bleeding. I've seen black 50/50 tees with white ink take on a gray tint. I'm sure my dryer was too hot, but the idea of eliminating any concerns is very nice to me. Anyone else doing something like this? Poly white ink suggestions?
Black ink. I'm finally getting to the bottom of a 5 gallon bucket of QCM XOLB black. I'm honestly not sure why you would need a low bleed black, but I don't like printing with it. I mix it with soft hand clear and still have to double stroke. Anyone have a particular black ink they like?
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I hope Alan chimes in here. I know he has tested damned near all of the options and has settled on a good one(s).
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For poly I have tried Triangle, International Coatings and Rutland and honestly they all sucked. Got a sample of Wilflex Top Score and love the way it prints. The only concern I would have is fiber matte down using it on anything other than 100% poly.
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You should look into the one stroke inks. The samples I have tested are pretty impressive honestly, though some aren't exactly cheap :D
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We're currently using One Stroke Production White for 50/50 (thanks to Alan for the recommendation), and really like it. It's expensive, but it works well, prints great, cures at a low temp and as a side effect, relieves stress.
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Legacy White for 50/50 and 100% and the price is right! Wilflex Performance white for Polys. Wilflex Matte Black.
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IC Legacy white, Wilflex Top Score for Poly and Wilflex Print Black
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Xenon has a great black. MK162 uses it. $175 a fiver.
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Rutland White Plus. We mix our own black. Well, you asked!
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for what it's worth, from the 30-40 different whites we tested, it comes down to working temp of the ink more than the ink/brand. pick one you can get from your supplier, who cares what the price is. learn how to print with it and at what temp it likes to be at. in this day and age, I don't think any manufacturer makes a "sh*tty" ink, you just have to learn how to use it...my take anyway...
for us, 50/50's get triangle phoenix white and for cotton we use wilflex solar white...
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Figured I'd throw this in since no one has mentioned it. On 50/50s I use WM Plastics 9008PW Titan Poly White. I love it.
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One Stroke Production or Production Plus White for poly. It's the easiest working poly ink I've tried, and I've tried a lot. The plus has a little more bleed resistance if you have sublimated jerseys or 100% poly red or camo.
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too many different opinion on whites so I'll stay out of it.
Use Unimatch Black for union. Best black I've tried. Prints awesome WOW, holds a good edge and it covers great. Give it a shot if you can get it.
pierre
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And I forgot, One Stroke WOW Black. We print on top of our black a lot and need a WOW black more than anything and this one doesn't build up, at all. I've not used as many black inks as white, and I'd love to try the Unimatch Pierre mentioned.
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for what it's worth, from the 30-40 different whites we tested, it comes down to working temp of the ink more than the ink/brand. pick one you can get from your supplier, who cares what the price is. learn how to print with it and at what temp it likes to be at. in this day and age, I don't think any manufacturer makes a "sh*tty" ink, you just have to learn how to use it...my take anyway...
for us, 50/50's get triangle phoenix white and for cotton we use wilflex solar white...
I have to disagree. After testing around 50 white inks now, I can say with 100% confidence that 3 or 4 of those were absolute horseshit. Granted they were 30-40 a gallon, but they had really terrible issues that makes them a poor value even at that price.
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I like that Homer has stuck with Phoenix white for so long, and I'll admit, it has been a solid performer and there has never been a gallon of the 30 or so I've used of the Phoenix that wasn't exactly like the others. Something can be said of consistency like that. If it were a little shorter bodied I could see it getting another run in our shop. It doesn't shear quite as fast as I'd like but optically it's very WHITE.
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I'm not sure what's going on with wilflex but it seems like every 5 of quick white we get is different..... For the quick guys out there are you seeing the same we are? I'm ready to throw the towel in on quick to be honest
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for what it's worth, from the 30-40 different whites we tested, it comes down to working temp of the ink more than the ink/brand. pick one you can get from your supplier, who cares what the price is. learn how to print with it and at what temp it likes to be at. in this day and age, I don't think any manufacturer makes a "sh*tty" ink, you just have to learn how to use it...my take anyway...
This world need s a good short-run white that prints well straight out of the bucket without warming up for those of us that do a lot of runs under 100pcs.
I don't really care if a white will print well for 10000pcs. without breaking down as that isn't our market except on rare exception.
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for what it's worth, from the 30-40 different whites we tested, it comes down to working temp of the ink more than the ink/brand. pick one you can get from your supplier, who cares what the price is. learn how to print with it and at what temp it likes to be at. in this day and age, I don't think any manufacturer makes a "sh*tty" ink, you just have to learn how to use it...my take anyway...
This world need s a good short-run white that prints well straight out of the bucket without warming up for those of us that do a lot of runs under 100pcs.
I don't really care if a white will print well for 10000pcs. without breaking down as that isn't our market except on rare exception.
As for as cotton white goes, Meteor white has this locked up, HANDS down. No white prints better out of the bucket... not on this planet. ;)
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I ran the cheap whites, I ran the expensive ones, one strokes and such, and for us, we keep going back to Phoenix for blends. I know what we are going to get when we run it. For a "prefect" short run ink, nothing we have ever tried is perfect and I absolutely refuse to make my own white... I figured I have to adjust to the ink a little better than adjusting the ink to us. I do not modify my white, ever...
the only ink wilflex makes that impresses us is Solar white and even that isn't their formulation. I have a few gallons of epic something or other here and we never use it. it's super tacky and the colors are muted compared to IC...it's ok but not worth the coin.
Mimo, you're right. there is one ink I can think of that is pure sh*t....horse sh*t to be exact. ;D
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I ran the cheap whites, I ran the expensive ones, one strokes and such, and for us, we keep going back to Phoenix for blends. I know what we are going to get when we run it. For a "prefect" short run ink, nothing we have ever tried is perfect and I absolutely refuse to make my own white... I figured I have to adjust to the ink a little better than adjusting the ink to us. I do not modify my white, ever...
the only ink wilflex makes that impresses us is Solar white and even that isn't their formulation. I have a few gallons of epic something or other here and we never use it. it's super tacky and the colors are muted compared to IC...it's ok but not worth the coin.
Mimo, you're right. there is one ink I can think of that is pure sh*t....horse sh*t to be exact. ;D
I'll get you Bobby's contact info... you need to get a sample of Meteor White.
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I'm not sure what's going on with wilflex but it seems like every 5 of quick white we get is different..... For the quick guys out there are you seeing the same we are? I'm ready to throw the towel in on quick to be honest
Same problem for us, that's why after all my years using it, I gave it up and went to Legacy.
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Mine has been quite consistent, IF I remember to mix the hell out of it before using it and/or splitting it up the first time...