Metallic Screen Printing Ink
GENERAL INFORMATION: 96LF* Metallic Silver & Metallic Gold are plastisol based products that produce a "chrome" metallic look when printed. 96LF and 908LF produce the best look when directly printed onto a garment or fabric. *LF (Lead Free) Contains less than 0.025% lead.
RECOMMENDED FABRICS: 96LF is recommended for use on cotton and some cotton/polyester blends. 96LF are not low bleed products. Pre-print and test all printed fabrics for possible dye migration and wash durability before beginning production.
INK APPLICATION: 96LF Metallic Silver comes ready for use and should be printed without modification. Stir ink well prior to each use. For best visual results, this ink should be printed last in a design. 908LF Metallic Silver must be mixed with 900LF Catalyst to ensure best adhesion to nylon fabrics.
900LF Catalyst is available in 2 oz. and 8 oz. containers. It should be hand stirred into the ink thoroughly to the following proportions:
By Volume: 16 parts Ink to 1 part 900LF Catalyst.
By Weight: 20 parts Ink to 1 part 900LF Catalyst.
Ink may be used immediately after mixing. Do not mix more ink and catalyst than is needed for a job. Pot life of mixed ink is 4 to 8 hours. Over catalyzation will shorten pot life of ink. Adding 900 Catalyst does help to some degree in helping to hold the metallic particle when the item is washed, but it does not keep the ink from tarnishing.
SCREEN MESH AND EMULSION: 86-110. DXP or DCM Emulsion
SQUEEGEE: 70 Durometer: Sharp or Beveled Edge 60-90-60 Triple Durometer: Sharp Edge
DRYER TEMPERATURES: 325°F (163°C) Fusion temperature for entire ink film. Plastisols do not air dry. They must be fused with an appropriate heat source to assure maximum durability. The optimum time/temperature cycle will vary with the amount of ink deposited, fabric and the type of heat source used. Plastisols achieve the proper fusion point as soon as the innermost section of the ink film reaches the prescribed temperature. Test dryer temperatures before beginning a production run. Wash test printed product before production run.
IMPORTANT INFORMATION: Caution: 96LF Metallic Silver contains a high loading of un-coated metallic powders that will tarnish (turn gray) when exposed to any type of detergent or water that contains a bleaching or whitening agent. The abrasion resistance of these inks is also low. There will be some rub off of metallic particles even when the inks are properly cured/fused. It is extremely important to pre-print and test printed fabrics for wash and wear durability before beginning production.
- 96LF and 908LF Metallic Silver reflect infrared heat. A forced air dryer is highly recommended for proper curing/fusion of these products. Complete fusion of these products may be very difficult to achieve in an infrared dryer. Even when the 96LF and 908LF are properly fused, there will be some rub off of metallic particles. Check for proper cure/ fusion of product by wash testing finished product according to the wash instructions below.
- To obtain best wash results, make sure printed inks are properly cured/fused and hand wash with a phosphate free detergent such as Woolite®, then air or line dry. Do not use bleach, iron or dry clean the printed garment.
- Air drying washed product is strongly recommended. Dulling of ink surface may be caused by heat and abrasion in a clothes dryer.
- Garments printed with 96LF or 908LF should be labeled with recommended washing instructions.
- Use 156LF or 956LF Metallic Silver Shimmers when best overall wash and wear durability is desired for metallic looking prints.
PRODUCT INFORMATION STORAGE OF INK CONTAINERS: Keep containers well sealed when not in use. Keep indoors and store in a cool area. Recommend storage at 65°F to 90°F (18°C TO 32°C). Avoid storage in direct sunlight or in extreme temperature conditions.
CLEAN-UP Environmentally friendly plastisol screen wash such as screen wash 147 or Enviro Wipe.