Additive – 10-0913 Matting Agent

Printcolor 10-0913 powder is a matting agent for pad print inks.

The official technical stuff from Printcolor
Printcolor 10-0913 powder can be added to Series 700 pad printing inks to produce a matte finish on the printed ink layer.  Add between 3% and 10% by weight depending on the level of matt effect desired.

Refer to the Technical Information and 10-0913 MSDS documents for more details.

The good oil from our trade print room

• 10-0913 matte powder is a great option for consumer products like cosmetics.  A matte black print on a high gloss back compact looks a million bucks!
• In our experience 10-0913 works well in all 700 Series pad printing inks and hasn’t any noticeable effect on printing characteristics or pot life.

Additive – 700 BMT Wetting Agent

Printcolor 700 BMT is a highly concentrated wetting agent to improve in ink levelling and adhesion problems.

The official technical stuff from Printcolor
Printcolor 700 BMT can be used to improve the wetting characteristics of contaminated or problematic substrates. Ink adhesion can be improved on protection foils, oxidised metals and plastics with minor contamination from release agents and silicone residues.  In such cases BMT is added to reduce the interfacial energy of the ink, facilitating bonding despite these substrate problems, positively improving adhesion when properly implemented.

Addition ratios should be restricted to only 0.5% to 1% up to a maximum of 2% by weight.  It is important that 700 BMT is properly blended into the ink system for proper performance. Refer to the Technical Information and 700 BMT MSDS documents for more details.

What we say about Printcolor 700 BMT
Printcolor 700 BMT changes the ink tension and wetting properties of the ink, which improves print evenness and in some cases print gloss and adhesion to the substrate. BMT assists the ink to flow or level after transfer and can noticeably reduce print pin-holing and unevenness.

As with all additives, use of BMT should be strict controlled as over-dosing ink can result in transfer issues and deterioration of adhesion and print resistances.

The good oil from our trade print room

• Wetting agents should be used in small amounts and with caution. Inexperienced users may create adhesion or print quality issues with inappropriate or over use of ink additives.
• We use wetting agents on occasion to reduce pin-holing in solid prints on glassware where alteration to stoke speed and pad shape is ineffectual or impossible.

Additive – 700 VMT Flow Agent

Printcolor 700 VMT is a highly concentrated silicone additive to improve in ink levelling and gloss.

The official technical stuff from Printcolor
Printcolor 700 VMT is a highly concentrated silicone additive characterised by its levelling improving effect and a certain enhancement of gloss of the cured ink layer.  Typical problems like bubbling, pinhole or orange-peel effects in the printed image can be rectified.  700 VMT will often also influence the wetting characteristics of the substrate too, which can be used positively to improve adhesion when properly implemented.

Addition ratios should be restricted to only 0.5% up to a maximum of 1% by weight.  700 VMT must properly be blended into the ink system for proper performance.  Caution should be used if the ink layer is to be over-printed or lacquered as the addition of VMT may lead to wetting problems for post-printing processes.  Refer to the Technical Information and 700-VMT MSDS documents for more details.

What we say about Printcolor 700 VMT
700 VMT changes the ink tension and wetting properties of the ink, which improves print evenness and in some cases print gloss and adhesion to the substrate.  VMT assists the ink to flow or level after transfer and can noticeably reduce print pin-holing and unevenness.

As Printcolor 700 VMT is a silicone based agent, strict control of its use is necessary as over-dosing ink can result in silicone contamination, transfer issues and deterioration of adhesion.

The good oil from our trade print room

• 700 VMT can cause cloudiness in some clear ink systems.
• Flow agents should be used in small amounts and with caution.  Inexperienced users may create adhesion or print quality issues with inappropriate or over use of ink additives.
• We use flow agents on occasion to reduce pin-holing in solid prints on glassware where alteration to stoke speed and pad shape is ineffectual or impossible.

Additive – 700-032 Antistatic Paste

Printcolor 700-032 antistatic paste is an additive for pad printing inks designed to eliminate the effects of spider webbing or stringing of the print.

The official technical stuff from Printcolor
Printcolor 700-032 anti-static paste has been developed to solve static problems in pad printing know as spider webbing or stringing that is characterised by uneven ink deposit, poor pad transfer and splashing of the printed ink film.  The addition of between 5 % and 20% of the 700-032 paste will significantly reduce or completely eliminate the effects of spider webbing caused by unfavorable conditions such as low humidity, high ambient temperatures and the electrostatic charge that develops on some plastics.   Printcolor 700-032 anti-static paste is suitable for all Printcolor pad printing inks, it has no influence on the adhesion properties of the ink.

Refer to the Technical Information and 700-032 MSDS documents for more details.

What we say about Printcolor 700-032
Printcolor 700-032 is surprisingly effective in reducing spider-webbing often seen when using faster drying inks like 711 and 712.  As with all additives adding more is not necessarily better, 5% is sufficient to address the usual static issues associated with pad printing.

We have several big users of the faster ink Series who routinely add antistatic paste to every job to eliminate the effects of seasonal changes to ambient print conditions and safeguard to print quality.  They’re happy to do so because Printcolor 700-032 has no impact on ink adhesion, nor does it escalate costs as it is extremely economical compared with similar products from other suppliers.

The good oil from our trade print room

• You can use 700-032 in every ink mix, but we just add it when the occasional static issue arises.
• Overdosing ink with additives can effect pot life and running characteristics.  Add only the smallest amount required to have an effect, add small amounts at a time.
• Printcolor 700-032 will not influence ink adhesion.
• If you often to have issues with static, try our new Anit-static Blue printing pads – they are fantastic!