Hardener – Printcolor 700 GL

Printcolor 700 GL hardener is used with epoxy based pad printing inks to produce excellent adhesion on glass and ceramics.

The official technical stuff from Printcolor
Printcolor 700 GL is specifically formulated for used with Series 750 epoxy based pad printing ink.  700 GL epoxy crosslinking produces an extremely resistant and adhesive bond onto glass and ceramic, as well as high luster metal surfaces like chrome and brass.  The high reactivity of GL hardener means only a small amount is required for to achieve maximum print adhesion.  A mixing ratio of 20:1 is recommended for most jobs ( 5% by weight to a maximum of 10% for demanding applications).  Maximum cured hardness and water resistance is achieved by heat curing (baking) in an oven at 140 – 160 degrees C for 20 to 30 minutes.

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

What we say about Printcolor 700 GL
Printcolor 700 GL is an extremely effective product.  It is economical as you only need a small amount for each job, and you don’t need any special thinner or other additives so it’s really easy to use.  700 GL also has an excellent pot life and will give you trouble free printing for up to 8 hours or more depending on ambient conditions.

Pad printing on ceramics is commonly referred to as a ‘low-fire’ branding method and not recommended for use on items subjected to abrasive commercial dish washing.  On a practical level we know of several caterers who are happy to use pad printed glassware in particular, as it is not subjected to abrasive washing and is replaced regularly due to breakages and loss.  Pad printing is so much more cost effective than high-fire printing or etching and is therefore an attractive economical option for this segment of the market.

The particular advantage of pad printing ceramics is that you can achieve accurate and vibrant colour not reproducible with the pigments used in high fire (glaze) inks.   Colour accuracy is increasing important to corporate clients.  700 GL with Series 750 ink performs very well on promotional ceramics, producing images that will outlast most coffee cups used in domestic and office situations.   Series 750 and 700 GL perform beautifully on glassware too, producing an extremely solid ink layer on clear glass even with metallic colours.  It is excellent for decorative applications such as glass ornaments, trophies and consumer items.

Printcolor 700 GL is a very aggressive hardener and works well on many glossy, hard to print surfaces like polished metal and chromed finishes.  It does need an elevated temperature to properly cure the ink to full hardness.  Even raising the temperature a little to just 45 or 50 degrees for several hours will achieve far superior results than curing for the same time at room temperature.

The good oil from our trade print room

• Partial print curing can be achieved at room temperatures but it will take several days or even weeks.  Full chemical bonding of GL hardener and corresponding print durability will only be achieved through heat curing.
• 700 GL is designed for use with epoxy resins; Series 750 is the only Printcolor ink you should use with 700 GL.
• Hardener going ‘off’ in the bottle is a complaint we hear made of all brands.  I guarantee if you routinely clean the spout and replace the lid properly after each pour, you will get full use of your bottle of 700 GL right down to the very last drop – we do.
• DON’T use more hardener than the recommended amount.  If you overdose ink with hardener you will lengthen curing time and risk reducing print adhesion and durability.

Hardener – Printcolor 700 HDa

Printcolor 700 HDa is a reactive hardener system developed for long term outdoor and demanding applications, to be use with pad and screen printing inks on plastics and metals.

The official technical stuff from Printcolor
Printcolor 700 HDa hardener is based on aliphatic components that combine the characteristics of high chemical resistance and extremely good abrasion resistance.  It is based on a highly reactive bonding compound that produces an extremely durable cured ink layer with high chemical and mechanical resistance.

Printcolor 700 HDa is engineered for UV stability and to be yellowing-free even after prolonged outdoor exposure.  HDa produces a glossy cured link layer that is highly flexible, allowing it to bend with flexible substrates without becoming brittle.  Printcolor 700 HDa can be used with most pad printing and many screen printing inks.  However, to take full advantage of the UV stability and flexibility possible with HDa the best ink partners  are the pad printing Series 752, Series 784, Series 792 and Series 711.  Refer to the Technical Information and 700-HDa MSDS documents for more details.

What we say about Printcolor 700 HDa
The unique chemical crosslinking that gives HDa it’s flexibility and outdoor stability takes more time or temperature to reach full cured hardness compared with 700 HDi hardener.  This may present handling issues for high throughput applications such as industrial processing lines.  For commercial printers longer curing may simply mean postponing product repacking until the following afternoon rather than on the morning after printing – especially during cooler months.

An advantage of the slightly longer curing times is increased pot life.  Ink mixed with HDa has an average pot life of 6-8 hours (and often longer) depending on your ink type and ambient conditions.  Printcolor 700 HDa requires temperatures above 15 degrees C for chemical crosslinking to take place,  ideal curing conditions are at room temperature – 20 degrees or higher.  You can increase print durability and reduce curing time by oven baking the printed product.  Mixing ratios of ink to HDa will vary with the on ink series your using and your end application, these are listed in the technical leaflets and on ink can labels.

The good oil from our trade print room

• We always use 700 HDa when printing with Series 784 (it just runs better for longer than with HDi) and Series 792 (it’s a flexible ink and requires a flexible hardener).
• HDa is specifically formulated for two characteristics; UV stability for long term outdoor use, and an elastic cured ink layer useful on flexible substrates like leather, stress balls or hinged PP for example.
• When using 700 HDa we generally print and ship the next day in summer (approx. 24 hours in 25 degree + temperatures) but would leave for 36 to 48 hours when curing at room temperature over winter months (less than 22 degrees).  Curing time can be reduced by increasing temperature either by baking in an oven or moving product to a heated room.
• Hardener going ‘off’ in the can is a complaint we hear made of all brands.  We guarantee if you routinely clean the spout and replace the cap properly after each pour, you will get full use of your can of HDa right down to the very last drop – we do.
• DON’T use more hardener than the recommended amount.  If you overdose ink with hardener you’ll lengthen curing time and risk reducing print adhesion and durability.
• You cannot use HDa with metallic gold in some ink Series.  The cooper in gold metallics reacts with HDa and acts as a catalyst for the hardener, giving you about 20 minutes of pot life.  If you need to use HDa for a gold print, we have mixing recipes based on metallic silver that will produce a stunning gold ink fully compatible with HDa hardener.
• We use HDa a lot in summer to extend ink pot life in hot and humid working conditions.

Hardener – Printcolor 700 HDi

Printcolor 700 HDi is a highly reactive hardener system developed for indoor applications for use with pad and screen printing inks on plastics and metals.

The official technical stuff from Printcolor
Printcolor 700 HDi hardener is formulated for industrial/commercial printing applications intended for indoor use.  It is based on a highly reactive bonding compound that produces an extremely durable cured ink layer with high chemical and mechanical resistance.

Ideal ink partners for 700 HDi hardener  are Printcolor two component pad printing ink Series 750, Series 752 and Series 784.  HDi can also be added to Printcolor Series 711 and Series 712 to increase print durability.  Refer to the Technical Information and 700-HDi MSDS documents for more details.

What we say about Printcolor 700 HDi hardener
700 HDi is a universal hardener designed to work with all Printcolor 700 Series pad printing inks and many of Printcolor screen printing inks too.  It’s quiet a reactive hardener which means printing will cure reasonably quickly making it ideal for fast throughput applications and tight print-to-pack turnarounds.  Mixing ratios of ink to HDi will vary with the on ink series your using and your end application, these are listed in the technical leaflets and on ink can labels.

Ink mixed with HDi has an average pot life of 4-8 hours depending on your ink type and ambient conditions.  Printcolor 700 HDi produces a rigid ink layer best suited to hard surfaces such as plastics and metals as it may crack if flexed or applied to soft materials (See 700-HDa for flexible applications).  HDi requires temperatures above 10 degrees C for chemical bonding to take place,  ideal curing conditions are at room temperature – 20 degrees or higher.  You can increase print durability and reduce curing time by applying heat to the printed product using a drying tunnel or oven.

The good oil from our trade print room

• We use Printcolor 700 HDi a lot and are always confident that HDi will deliver consistent and predictable adhesion results.
• HDi is intended for internal/indoor print applications and, due to its chemical composition, will tend to go chalky and yellow when subjected to UV from long-term outdoor exposed.
• When curing at room temperature, we generally print and ship the next day.  Curing time can be reduced by increasing temperature either by baking or use of a heat drying tunnel.
• Its high reactivity facilitates fast print curing, but it also means that if you don’t replace the cap after use you’ll reduce the shelf life of your hardener considerably.  Hardener going ‘off’ in the can is a complaint we hear made of all brands, but I guarantee if you routinely clean the spout and replace the cap properly after each pour, you will get full use of your can of HDi right down to the very last drop – we do.
• DON’T use more hardener than the recommended amount.  If you overdose with hardener you will lengthen curing time and risk reducing print adhesion and durability.
• We often add HDi to single component inks like Series 711, not for adhesion, but to give the cured ink layer greater wear resistance for demanding applications like switches and cosmetics.

Hardeners – 700 HDS and 700 HDF

Printcolor 700 HDS and 700 HDF are highly reactive specialist hardener system developed for demanding  pad printing applications.

Printcolor has developed a range of highly targeted hardener systems for use in demanding product applications or extreme application conditions.  Please call to discuss your particular requirements.

Refer to the Technical Information and HDS and HDF MSDS documents for more details.

The official technical stuff from Printcolor

Printcolor 700 HDS Solvent-Free Hardener
This highly reactive hardener based on aliphatic components that combines the best characteristics of Hda and Hdi hardener systems.  HDS hardener is totally outdoor resistant, yellowing-free and cures to a highly resistant ink film.  The solvent-free hardener exhibits a fast bonding and high gloss.  Flexibility of the cured ink layer is very good.  It is important to note that HDS has a minimum curing temperature of >23°C, higher if possible.  Series 700-HDS represents the most modern and effective bonder formulation based on Isocyanate. Its solvent-free composition makes it especially user-friendly and desirable in some sensitive production environments.

Printcolor 700 HDF Yellowing-Free Hardener
This highly reactive hardener system is characterised by its yellowing-free properties under prolonged outdoor exposure.  It was developed for its colour and gloss persistence and for a high resistance to brittleness.  700-HDF has greater flexibility and elasticity than all other systems.  However, due to its very high reactivity, limited pot life may be a consideration in some production environments.  The best ink partners are Series 752, 754, 784, 792 and for some applications 711.

What we say about Printcolor 700 HDS and 700 HDF
Specialist hardener systems such as 700 HDS and 700 HDF have been developed to meet demanding printing specifications for particular industrial projects.  These hardeners usually exhibit greater chemical, abrasion and/or UV resistances than the standard 700 HDa and HDi range.  Systems such as 700 HDS and 700 HDS are not convenient for normal print production due to their higher curing temperature requirements and/or reduced pot life.  If you have a demanding project that requires higher specification resistances, please contact us to discuss your requirements.