WILFLEX™ Epic Rio Midnight Blue Plastisol Ink is a low-cure non-phthalate finished ink mixing system formulated for a perfect balance of color accuracy and opacity for peak press performance and color design. It is an easy-to-use color mixing system with 18 inter-mixable colors, enabling printers to produce accurate PANTONE® simulations. EPIC RIO MIX is the most opaque color system in the line of Wilflex mixing color systems. Its opacity helps printers get to color quicker even when using fine mesh screens, saving ink and money.
Epic Rio Midnight Blue is a strong blue with red undertone.
Note: The mixing system software is only compatible with PC-based systems. For Mac and/or Smartphone users, please visit the mixing website (be aware that you will need to register and be approved before having access to the mixing system and compliance information).
FEATURES
- Accurate and vibrant Pantone Color Simulations
- PANTONE® approved
- Excellent color reproduction over bases and white, light garments
- Matte finish
- Easy and accurate color mixing with finished inks that are balanced for viscosity
- Creamy inks that perform on both manual and automatic presses
- Best color fastness to crocking test
- Wet-on-wet printing capabilities at high production speeds with good resistance to build-up
- Consistent across short runs, long runs, color-to-color, and batch-to-batch
- Low cure properties (260°F–280°F)
- Soft-hand prints
ARTWORK
Choke the underbase: Creating a choke of 0.5 pts will allow the printer to use less pressure on the over-print colors, minimizing ink splitting and mottling.
Butt-to-butt separations: This technique keeps the ink from blurring on sharp line color transitions to avoid the urge of flashing during the rotation. Avoid trapping colors in the artwork.
Minimal to no white within design: Underbase behind dark colors.
Plan the print rotation: Two general rules to follow when deciding on print rotation:
- Print the smallest image area to largest image area or less important colors before more important colors.
- On light fabrics, print light colors to dark colors. On dark fabrics, print dark colors to light colors when using an under-base. Plan the color overlays based on this information.
DETAILS
SCREEN CREATION
Wilflex Epic Rio works with 110-305 mesh counts. Ideal screen tension should be 25-35 n/cm2.
When coating the screen with emulsion, it’s recommended to follow the 2x2 method where the emulsion over mesh is 15-20%. Coating techniques may vary depending on the design and desired print outcome. Test and confirm with client before going into production.
FABRIC TYPES
Wilflex Epic Rio best performs on 100% cotton, 100% polyester, triblends, polyester blends, cotton/poly blends, and cotton/lycra blends. Use a Low Bleed white or Poly white as needed to fight dye migration. When printing on 100% polyester, a dye blocker base may be needed to prevent dye migration.
PRINTING
For single-color prints, colors will reproduce best over white or light-colored fabrics or a single white underbase on dark substrates. When printing directly on dark garments, print-flash-print using lower mesh screens.
Use a squeegee with a durometer of 60/90/60, 70/90/70, or any squeegee between 60 and 90 durometer. When printing, angle the squeegee by 10-15% and use a medium to fast stroke with a medium flood.
WET-ON-WET PRINTING
When printing wet-on-wet, the ink will always transfer to the back of the screen. A good ink will remain wet on the back of the screen. This small amount of wet build-up is actually beneficial for ink coverage and color intensity in wet-on-wet printing.
CURING INSTRUCTIONS
- Flash at 220°F (105°C) for 3 - 5 seconds
- Cure at 266°F - 320°F (130°C - 160°C)
- Adjust flash temperature and dwell time so the ink is just dry to the touch. Depending on the flash unit, a 2 - 3 second flash could be adequate.
- Curing is a time and temperature process, a lower oven temperature setting with a slower belt speed while maintaining recommended ink cure temperature is always best to protect fabric, control dye migration, and reduce energy consumption.
CLEAN UP
STORAGE INFORMATION
Store at 65-90°F (18-32°C). Avoid direct sunlight. Use within one year of the the receipt.
PRODUCT DATA SHEETS
