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screen printing => Ink and Chemicals => Topic started by: Admiral on August 25, 2016, 10:04:47 AM

Title: How long are water based inks good for?
Post by: Admiral on August 25, 2016, 10:04:47 AM

Plastisol I'm sure some/many have used inks 5+ years old and they were just fine.  How long do water based inks last? I know they need to be mixed up again because they often settle, but I would think 2-3 years is fine right?

Title: Re: How long are water based inks good for?
Post by: Admiral on August 25, 2016, 11:18:59 AM

Specifically Matsui water based discharge ink (not activated of course).

Title: Re: How long are water based inks good for?
Post by: Inkworks on August 25, 2016, 12:05:06 PM

Not long.... some are like 6 months- 1 year. Which make it tough for small shops to stock decent quantities or ready-mixed colours. I have 1/2 a fiver of white that is now only good for non-discharge as it turns to cottage cheese if you try to add activator powder to it.

And yeah, lots of call for non-discharge white dontcha know....  :-\

Title: Re: How long are water based inks good for?
Post by: ZooCity on August 25, 2016, 06:59:00 PM

Our DC mixes hold strong for over a year in most cases. 

WB inks tend to have a ph shift and that's what causes their life to end early. 

Keeping additives out until press time helps a bit with DC ink and a lot with WB.

I looked into this recently and short of having a nice, climate controlled ink area free of uv and very clean handling tools and containers you can't get much further than that 6mo-1yr it seems.