Plastisol... and all else too
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- Nairn
So I've bought myself a screen carousel, set up my 'playroom', exposed and registered some screens... now I have to buy & use some plastisol inks. Trouble is, this is utterly new territory for me. Can anyone point me in the direction of a book/internet/anysuch resource for a guide? Please?!
I need to know what I can do with these inks - when to use a transparent base, what mixing options there are.. anything..!
- UndoUndo0
id love to do a bit of screen printing and be able to help you but I can't.
be careful with the fumes they'll mess you up if you dont!
have you serached the PVN?
- Nairn0
Yeah, I've been keeping tabs with the PVN on screenprinting for about a year now... 'sJust that this is becoming quite specific and I'm now actually having to DO something...
...I'm supposed to have had our range ready last month!
:|
- mrdobolina0
What type of drying unit are you using to dry the plastisols?
- Nairn0
I will be purchasing a spot/flash cure unit when required, but at the moment have a heatgun.. which is more fun than useful...!
- mrdobolina0
ha!
I used to use willflex brand plastisols. I got a guide right from the distributor. Here is a guide for Union Inks, it will give you an idea of what the guide should contain.
http://www.unionink.com/articles…
but it all depends on who manufactures the ink.
- Nairn0
...I haven't even bought the Plastisol yet - I'm sitting here with a 'Sericol' catalogue, wondering what colours I need to buy and wondering which PhotoEmulsion and Screen Cleaner goes with... nngh.... "too many variables..."
- mrdobolina0
most dual-cure emulsions will work with plastisol. I used to clean up with mineral spirits, but you need your area to be seriously ventilated. Mineral spirits is the cheap way to go, but stinky.
I have a black dot flash curing unit in my closet!
- Nairn0
That last bit sounds a bit rude, MrD!
May I ask how you learned to 'do all this'? I can see that this is one of those skills which is best learnt directly from someone with a bit of expertise (I'm still trying to work through all of the best basic methods!) but I neither have the time or the capacity to go on a course or any such thing...
...all the while, I (and everyone around) gets covered in more and more splatters of ink! :)
- k0na_anOk0
*farts at mrdobolina
- mrdobolina0
I think that is the kona imposter.
I worked in a print shop when I was in school. We mostly did clear coats. In the early nineties I ran a t-shirt screen printing business out of my basement. Just exposed my first screen last night in over 8 years.
- mrdobolina0
nairn, if you get your shop up and running, you could probably get a lot of business out of the NTers.
- Nairn0
Believe me, MrD - the first place I'll come to when I need any talent at all is here!
/brown-nose
- mrdobolina0
ha
- Nairn0
OK. Am i being stupid?*
If I buy good quality 'Trichromatic' CMYK, Pantone-friendly Plastisol ink can I handmix as per on-screen ratios and achieve the same colours? (at least roughly, anyway..)
* probably
- fawn0
nairn it might be a good idea to go to your local art store, they usually have good advice there :) good luck with that, i am going to start doing screen printing soon as well, i can't wait!
- mrdobolina0
nairn, you should be able to, some manufacturers sell their ink pre-mixed,others require you to add a bonding agent. you may need to get a digital scale to make sure that your mix is correct. but you can also use this scale to weigh bags of weed. :)
- Nairn0
heh - we have about 20 sets of tanitas around the office, for weighing out mushrooms with... so that shouldn't be an issue!
So. If I buy 5ltr of each CMYK ink, and mix 16ml Magenta and 100ml Yellow in a pot - will that roughly equate to c:0%; m:16%; y:100%; k:0%, our primary brand colour? (loosely, of course)
(fawn: I've been to 6 different art shops around London over the past month, but all they can offer are 'Speedball' starter kits and a lot of aimless enthusiasm...)
- fawn0
oh that's too bad nairn! damn art fags :P
- mrdobolina0
I'm not sure Nairn, but I don' think so.
CMYK works in layering inks, not mixing them, right?
You're going to want to talk to the manufacturer about that one.
- Nairn0
Yes. You're right - this is starting to ring some school bells..
...back to Basic Physics for me!
mumblemumblebuggerwhy'severythin...