What’s better than having a low-cure, ready-to-print plastisol ink that’s also a mixing system? One that’s got specialty inks and additives to make your prints as creative as you are. With seven new additions to the FN-INK™ line, the possibilities are endless. Want to know what these new specialties are all about? Let’s jump in.
WHAT’S SO SPECIAL ABOUT SPECIALTIES
FN-INK™ by itself is pretty rad. It’s a high opacity, creamy, short-bodied plastisol ink that cures at 260°F! But what if you could do even more with it? What if you could create shimmer effects, watermark effects, or make a print stretch? That’s where specialties come in.
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With seven specialty FN-INK™ inks and additives, there’s bound to be something for every screen printer. There are standalone inks, like metallic ink, that can be printed by themselves for amazing shimmer effects. Additives, on the other hand, spice up your prints, taking them to new heights and new lengths.
Curious yet? Here’s an overview of each new specialty FN-INK™.
FN-INK™ METALLIC INKS
It’s no secret that metallic inks are awesome. They make prints shimmer and shine, glisten and sparkle. There are three metallic inks in the FN-INK™ lineup. Let’s go over each.
FN-INK™ SILVER
Adding a metallic ink like FN-INK™ Silver adds an extra sparkle to screen prints. Since this ink shimmers in the light, prints will be more noticeable. The best part? FN-INK™ Silver prints like a dream. You can print it directly on the fabric, over an underbase, with color mixed in, and more.
There are so many ways to use this ink: the possibilities are nearly endless. It’s all about what you’re looking for in a print.
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FN-INK™ GOLD
Looking for a 24-karat gold print? Check out FN-INK™ Gold. It’s a low cure plastisol ink that creates a gold shimmer on garments. There are a few ways to print FN-INK™ Gold, depending on the look you’re trying to achieve. Print it directly to fabric with a low mesh count, over an underbase, or add color to it to make any design stand out.
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FN-INK™ PEARL
Are you looking to introduce a little bit of shine to your prints? You don’t want it to be in-your-face shiny, but maybe you want the print to have a little shimmer. If this sounds like what you’re looking for, meet FN-INK™ Pearl. This specialty ink is perfect for adding a little shine or a pearlescent effect to prints. Print it over a smooth base to get the best pearlescent effect. Want to add a little color to the ink? You can do that too.
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FN-INK™ EXTENDER BASE
FN-INK™ Extender Base is a low cure, fully-finished clear ink. Basically, it’s FN-INK™ without color. FN-INK™ Extender Base has the same ink viscosity as regular FN-INK™ as well as that soft hand feel you’ve come to know and love. What would you use clear ink for? Many things like creating vintage and tonal prints, extending an ink’s usage, or mixing it with other ink brands to improve the softness of the final print and lower their cure temperatures. It’s crazy how much potential you can unlock with an extender base.
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FN-INK™ PUFF ADDITIVE
Bring a print to a whole new level with FN-INK™ Puff. It turns a print from 2D to 3D. As the name implies, a puff additive makes a print "puff" up or has a loft. It's a cool, unique way to elevate a print. FN-INK™ Puff is a low cure puff additive meant to be used in low cure plastisol inks and cured at lower temperatures. Mix it into plastisol ink colors or the underbase to create an awesome dimension in your prints.
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FN-INK™ STRETCH
Once in a while, you may receive an order where the print needs to be real flexible like it can stretch far without falling apart. All ink can stretch, to a point. When it needs more support to make it extra pliable, then you need FN-INK™ Stretch. A stretch ink makes an ink more flexible so it resists cracking or splitting on stretchy garments like spandex, leggings, and yoga pants. FN-INK™ Stretch is designed to be used as either an underbase, mixed in with a base white, or as an additive for colors that need even more pliability. FN-INK™ Stretch brings your plastisol prints to new lengths.
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FN-INK™ CURABLE REDUCER
When you’re mixing ink and no matter how long or hard you mix, it doesn’t seem to loosen up much. You might just say screw it, sling that ink onto the screen, and start printing. But then you find that you have to do a ton of passes just to get good coverage, no matter the angle or amount of pressure you apply. Production slows down. You still have 200 shirts to go. There’s gotta be an easier way, right? You just need a smidge of FN-INK™ Curable Reducer to make that ink flow smoothly. FN-INK™ Curable Reducer is a low cure additive designed to lower an ink’s viscosity (its thickness), making the ink easier to print. It’s typically used with inks like white plastisol ink or athletic ink. Every printer should have a curable reducer on their shelves.
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With FN-INK ™ specialty inks and additives, the possibilities are endless. No matter what kind of prints you do and no matter what shop you are in, there’s a specialty ink or additive for you. Want to check them out for yourself? Pick some up today. Don’t be afraid to experiment on your own. The only limit is your imagination.