PLASTISOL INKS

STEP 1 : Finding the correct Pantone

1. Check the Production Notes section on the online workorder on Printavo.  This is located on the top Left of the page.

2. If you cannot find the pantone there, check the physical screens.  If the screens cannot be found, check with the screen room and they can pull the sep up with the screen names included.

3. If none of these are available, take a pantone deck and search for the closest option.  Tip: Hold pantone deck slightly away from screen as back light of screen will make the deck and the screen look different up super close or if you're holding the deck against the screen.

4. When you find the correct pantone, check the ink inventory list to see if it is already made.  You can access that with this link here: https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1q-GtPbX6u2zsOAm5McxywU5vz4QeG0kL0ydF5Qo8Hpg/edit#gid=0 

5. While on that page hit Ctrl+F and type in the desired pantone.  If in the corner it displays 0/0 that means there are no entries for that color and you will need to mix the ink.   If a number shows up, then using the left side and the top identify which shelf it is on.  Ex: 2C

STEP 2 : Mix the Ink

1. If you are printing plastisol ink, open the program titled ims3.0. 

2. Type in the desired pantone and in the weight enter 700 g if using a standard quart cup.

3. Enter one ink at a time and tare the scale between each color used.  The colors required for mixing pantones are located  below the shelf to the left of the computer.

4. Be sure to not cross contaminate the ink gallons.  A favored method is using a different cleanup card for each color used and throwing them away after each color is weighted out correctly.  Be sure to find an empty side of the cup to put each color into as you will more than likely overshoot the weight and will have to pull ink out without running into other colors in the container.

5. Mix until the color is solid and all parts are mixed in.

6. Take the mixture to a pantone deck to verify its accuracy.  If it looks slightly off, make small adjustments using the Rio bucket colors.  If it looks very far off, first check if the correct buckets were used as some are similarly named.  If that is not the case, start from step one and repeat the process.

STEP 1 : Load Ink into screens

1. Identify which ink is for what screens.  They will be labeled in the top left corner with a pantone or color name.

2. Usine a metal spatula apply the ink the screen.  Be sure not to press down too hard when doing so as the ink can push through the stencil of the screen and cause the first prints to become blurry.

STEP 2 : Decide on squeegee pressure and angle

1. The key things to remember when deciding on these are what your intention for the ink is.  If you are looking for a bold print on a large area, such as a big white piece of text, using a wide angle and low pressure is preferred.  Both of these contribute to heavier deposits of ink.  They may not be as detailed when super wide, but it will put down a good amount of ink.  Be sure to test that your pressure is not too low as it will not clear the screen.  Another issue that would cause a color to not clear would be the underbase not laying correctly.  

2. If you are looking for more high details, a sharp angle and a slightly higher pressure is what is preffered.  Attempt to not use more than 50 psi of pressure while doing this.  If you are having issue with a screen clearing, adjust from the speed of the squeegee rather than the pressure.

STEP 3 : Warm up the inks and pallets

1. Warm up the pallets.  This is going to help your ink become more viscous and flow the screen easier as it gets warmer.  Be careful to not let the inks get too warm, becuase they will start to cure and harden in the screen.

2. As you are running, be sure to lower flash time and power as needed.  You will be able to tell this by the sensor of the flash turning the bulbs off very quickly.   Once again, if the ink gets too hot, it will cure in the screen.   If this happens, throw the hardened ink away as it is no longer useable.  

STEP 1 : Remove ink from screen

1. Using a paper cleanup card located around the shop, transfer the ink from the screen back into the container that it came from.  Be careful to avoid the frame of the screen, and the press itself.  If you do get ink on a frame or the press, please clean that up immediately.

2. Take the ink over the ink mixing area and place the container on the table located in the back corner of the room against the wall. 

STEP 2 : If nobody is ink mixing for the day, put the ink away.

1. Open up the ink Inventory spready sheet found here: https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1q-GtPbX6u2zsOAm5McxywU5vz4QeG0kL0ydF5Qo8Hpg/edit#gid=0

2. Type Ctrl+F and type the ink name in. Ex: 105 c Find the corresponding shelf number to where it is listed and place the container there after it is wiped down.  

3. If there is no entry for where the ink should be, identify a shelf with similar colors and place there.  Once that is done, enter that information into the Ink Inventory sheet on the correct shelf.

Click on the two drops on the top left corner while on a pantone to start off with a baseline color.  As you make additions to the color, log everything you do by clicking to add a new item each time you add a different ink to it.  Be sure to weigh out what you add, and the program will convert it into percentages.  That way you will be able to make the same color in any quanitity that you would like.