Using Water Base Flexo Ink

1.         Add P.H Buffer in water as per required and stir it well & use this to mix with water base ink.

2.         Whenever foaming occurs in the tray while printing, add antifoaming liquid          solution about 15 to 20 drops in the tray. Hence, the foam subsides.

3.         After printing job is over, take out the ink from tray and keep it separate. Do not mix it with fresh ink.

4.         When next printing is started take the used ink and add fresh ink and mix it properly before use.

5.         Add water (P.H Buffer added water) as required to maintain your desired shade.

6.         During summer whenever ink dries up on stereo (either Nylo or Rubber) before printing on the paper, add retarder as per the requirement to slow down drying of ink.

7.         In packed condition storage life of ink is for six (6) months.

The Main Advantages Using Water Base Inks

Ø      Gives more uniform & rub-resistant printing from the beginning to end as there is no evaporation of solvents.

Ø      Increases the life of Rubber/Nylo stereos.

Ø      Saves the use of costly & hazardous solvents.

Ø      Water resistant after drying.

Ø      No use of solvents for cleaning the machine.

Ø      No irritation & pollution for workers while working.

Ø      No side effect of the smell of solvent in products packed condition.

Ø      +lus good storage life in packed condition.

Handling Flexographic Ink At The Printing Plant:

(I)    Job Planning

(a)   Accurate colour specification. The printer should submit either a print or preferably a sample of the actual ink he is using. He should state if the colours are to be underlaid (e.g. by white , yellow, etc.) and whether the printing will be on the surface or reverse. He should give the sequence of printing if a multi-colour job.

(b)   Kind of Stock. It is most helpful to supply a generous sample.

(c)    Type of press and heating equipment.

(d)   Resistance properties expected. The printer should mention the standard of lightfastness required and also if the inks must be resistant to the action of chemical substances, e.g. alkali, grease, etc.

(II)    Ink Storage:  

The printer should set aside a room exclusively for use as an ink store. It is most desirable that this room should be fireproof. It should contain fire extinguishers which can be used during fire breakouts. The room should be well lit and ventilated.

 The temperature of the store where the ink is stored should be kept around  35-38 degrees Celsius, and extremes of temperature should be avoided if possible. If the pressroom is warmer than the store, the ink should be left to stand in the pressroom for a few hours to enable it to reach pressroom temperature. Conditioning the ink in this way can avert press troubles, e.g. the possibility of pinholing which sometimes occurs when cold flexographic inks are printed on Cellophane.

After the job is finished, the thinned ink used on the printing machine and the unthinned ink should be stored in separate containers and the lids should be securely closed.

Labelled drawdowns should be pasted to the sides of all open cans or else they should be marked up plainly so that the ink may be quickly and accurately identified.

(III)    Handling and Mixing:     Before use, flexographic inks should be mixed with a spark-proof mechanical agitator or by hand with smooth-finished paddle for atleast 5 minutes to ensure that the ink is uniformly blended. Ink which has been stored for a long time will require more mixing.

(IV)    Cleanliness:     Good colour control is only possible if the working conditions are really clean.