Product Data

NEW AND IMPROVED FOUR COLOR PROCESS INKS

QCM FOUR COLOR PROCESS/HALFTONE INKS are a superior quality transparent plastisol formulated to achieve the most accurate 4 color process reproduction. These colors are finely milled allowing the ink to pass easily through the fine mesh counts required for this type of printing resulting in minimal ink deposits while maintaining excellent color strength. For best results print on white garments, cotton or cotton polyester blends of a tight weave. Open weave garments give a washed out appearance with process printing. If printing on colored garments use a white underlay or base print.

ARTWORK & SEPARATIONS: A good finished product starts with the original artwork. "Know the limitations of Process Printing on Garments." It is impossible to reproduce exactly a photograph of full color piece of artwork. You can achieve a very good, even excellent representation but it will never match exactly the original. This is due to limitations of line/dot size and density minimums required to screen print on garments. Be sure your customer is aware of that. Your separations should be done by one of the professionals catering to the garment printer. Through their experience and knowledge they can incorporate some "tricks of the trade" to give you the closest reproduction you can expect to achieve.

Be sure to communicate with your color separator. There are two types of separations commonly in use today, 65 Line and Random Dot. Once the separator has your artwork in hand ask for his recommendation. We suggest you always order a "white" printer with your separations. This actually makes it a five color print but the white printer enhances your wet on wet print. Again, ask your separator for his input.

SCREEN FRAMES: Variables in the four color process printing project must be kept under control. A very important part of this is controlling mesh tension, keeping it consistent. Self tensioning frames allow you to control this very important aspect whether you're printing 4 color process or standard printing. They are an excellent investment to ensuring quality.

SCREEN MESH: The recommended mesh for process printing is 355 tpi (140cm) dyed monofilament polyester. As low as 305 tpi (120cm) or as high as 380 tpi (150cm) is acceptable. Pre testing is imperative. Tension should be between 25-35 newtons.

STENCIL: Capillary film of 18 microns is recommended.

EXPOSURE: It is important to expose your film as quickly as possible so as to maintain the integrity of your lower percentage dots without hardening in. A single point light source of 3K to 5K or above is recommended to ensure your finest halftones are represented. Always use an exposure calculator.

SQUEEGEE: A sharp straight blade of 70 durometer or triple durometer blade of 70-90-70 is recommended. Be sure your squeegee is the proper length for the image area. Squeegee angle and pressure must remain consistent.

YOUR PRESS: Your press, whether manual or automatic, should be "dead on". If you have a four color process job pending this is a good time for a tune up. Make certain your press can hold registration. Are your platens level, are your print heads level front to rear and side to side? Using re-tensionable frames set your off- contact to 1/16" or less.

IMPORTANT NOTES: Always pre-test process inks remembering they are transparent.

Inks are a variable in process printing. Different manufacturers products appear "different" in the "wet" or container form. Some appear gelatinous while others, like QCM's appear more like standard plastisol. The "wet" appearance is not an indicator of the inks transparent value.

Process inks are designed to be printed on white garments or printed on a white base on dyed garments. The ink, being transparent, will allow the under color of the garment to affect the color of the printed image.

PRE-TESTING: Using test squares of either pellon or shirt material, tight weave. Print your cyan or blue color alone. Using a loupe, satisfy yourself as to the integrity of the finest dots. Make several tests checking for dot gain in each one. (Dot gain is wicking of the printed dot, it will occur but you must try to control it through consistency.) When satisfied that your blue screen is doing its job repeat the process with the magenta screen. When satisfied with your magenta screen print the blue and magenta together repeating the process. If these tests prove acceptable then proceed with your 4 color test prints using the sequence of colors that works best. Most commonly that sequence is Yellow - Magenta - Blue - Black. Experiment with different sequences and record them on your test squares as you do so. There is no set rule to color sequence, only what results in the best looking print.

PRINTING: Use minimal pressure when flooding. If manual printing maintain consistent squeegee pressure and angle. If all of the variables listed prior are addressed properly one pass of each color will give you the best results. Added strokes will result in heavier deposits, increasing dot gain and compromising the quality of the print. See also our OPC simulated Process Inks for opaque printing on dark garments.

INK MODIFICATION: QCM Process inks are ready to use out of the container. If reducing is necessary, use QCM LFP-1002 Halftone Base to cut the intensity of the ink without altering color value.

CURING: QCM Process inks cure at 310F. to 330F. Oven duration depends on your individual dryer and ink deposit. Test your dryer for temperature consistency daily. We recommend wash testing.

WASHABILITY: Excellent. We always recommend you suggest to your customer to wash the garment inside out in cold or warm water. Hang dry or tumble dry on low heat. This will give maximum life to the printed image. Do not dry clean or iron printed area.

PACKAGING: Quarts, gallons and 5 gallon pails.

SAFETY: SEE MATERIAL SAFETY DATA SHEET FOR FIRST AID INFORMATION

PRECAUTIONS: DO NOT ADD SOLVENTS TO PRINTING PLASTISOLS FOR THINNING BECAUSE OF POTENTIAL FIRE HAZARD WHEN CURING

DO NOT DRY CLEAN OR IRON DIRECTLY OVER CURED INKS

PLASTISOL INKS DEVELOP STRENGTH OVER A PERIOD OF 24 HOURS. GARMENTS SHOULD NOT BE WASHED OR OVER STRETCHED DURING THAT TIME.

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  for COLOR SEPARATIONS/ARTWORK/PHOTOSHOP/ILLUSTRATOR/4-COLOR/SIM-PROCESS

questions, email to Colin Huggins: colin@qcminks.com

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