Additives & Modifiers
Below are brief descriptions and instructions regarding the products listed. For complete and more detailed information please click the appropriate TDS/SDS buttons or visit the manufacturers web page www.lancergroup.com.
501 Curable Reducer: Excalibur's 501 PF Curable Reducer can be added to any Excalibur Phthalate-Free Plastisol ink to not only drop the viscosity but also help improve the flow of the ink and help the ink clean completely from the screen mesh. Even though it can be used in any quantity the following precautions should be taken when mixing 501PF Curable Reducer into Excalibur Plastisols.
1501 SportPro LB Curable Reducer: 1501PF Low-Bleed Curable Reducer can be used to adjust the viscosity of any Excalibur low-bleed ink without fear of diminishing the bleed resistance of the ink. Even though any amount of 1501PF can be added, when printing dark substrates, best results are obtained when adding no more than 3-5% by weight to the ink. Because plastisol inks are thixotropic in nature and can have a false body during storage, it is recommended to always stir ink prior to adding reducer. Excalibur inks that 1501PF are recommended to be used with are SportPro 1533PF and 1550PF Series, Defender 1596PF, 590PF Sabre White, 596PF Miracle White, TKO White and TKO Bright White.
502 Reducer Concentrate: is a concentrated product that in limited amounts greatly decreases the viscosity of the ink as well as increasing the flow characteristics making the ink clean completely from the screen. Limited amounts of 502PF Viscosity Reducer will make designs on light-colored shirts simulate the feel of a water-base print. As 502PF Viscosity Reducer is not a balanced product and can cause curing issues with any ink that it is added into, care should be taken and the following cautions explicitly followed when adding this product to any Excalibur plastisol ink!
EXE Thickener: Use Excalibur EXE Thickener when it is necessary to increase the viscosity of plastisol inks. For best results EXE Thickener should be added in increments of 1% by weight until desired viscosity is achieved. EXE Thickener produces excellent results when used with Excalibur 550PF or 500PF Series and HD-1 High Density Additive to increase viscosity for high-density printing applications. Because EXE Thickener has only been tested and results evaluated when mixed with Excalibur plastisol inks. Lancer Group International cannot guarantee the results if this product is used with a competitive brand of plastisol ink.
LBA Low Bleed Additive: Excalibur Low-Bleed Additive greatly improves bleed resistance in Excalibur direct printing inks. Simply add 5% LBA to Excalibur direct printing inks by weight. Excellent results have been reported when this additive is mixed with the 533PF and 550PF Series HIgh Opacity Inks.
Always ensure any additive mixed into Excalibur plastisols is thoroughly mixed and test printed for desired effect prior to running production. Dye migration can occur up to two weeks after printing so it is imperative fabrics are tested for dye stability before running production. Because Excalibur additives have been thoroughly tested in Excalibur plastisols we cannot guarantee the same results if the Excalibur additive is mixed with a competitive brand of plastisol.
LCA Low Cure Additive: An addition of 5% - 6% by weight of Excalibur Low-Cure Additive (LCA) reduces curing temperatures in many Excalibur direct printing inks by as much as 15° F. Consult the appropriate Technical Data Sheet for the exact curing temperature of the Excalibur plastisol the LCA will be mixed with. After curing inspect the print for a complete cure by stretching, or an even more definitive test would be to cut the print in half, wash one-half of print 3-5 times and compare to the unwashed print. If the print is fully cured both halves of print should look identical.
Always ensure any additive mixed into Excalibur plastisols is thoroughly mixed and test printed for desired effect prior to running production. Because Excalibur additives have been thoroughly tested in Excalibur plastisols we cannot guarantee the same results if the Excalibur additive is mixed with a competitive brand of plastisol.
103 Fast Flash Additive: Excalibur’s 103PF Fast Flash Additive when mixed in increments of 3-5% into and Excalibur plastisol ink will reduce the time necessary to reach the flash or gel temperature of that particular ink. This additive also eliminates the after-flash tack associated with the gel surface of the ink allowing printers to immediately put the second color on top without allowing the surface to cool. This additive is particularly useful for one station manual presses.
ABA Low Buildup Additive: Occasionally, on the bottoms of screens, inks will build-up causing printers costly down time when they have to stop the press and wipe ink from the bottoms of screens. This can happen due to shop conditions, screen tension, an ink not made to be printed wet on wet is being printed wet-on-wet or a myriad of other reasons beyond the printer and ink manufacturer's control. If this happens, an addition of 10% by weight of Excalibur's Low-Build-Up Additive (ABA) will greatly reduce build-up and minimize down time of your press.
PF-97 Puff Additive: Excalibur’s Puff Additive when added to any color of Excalibur’s 500PF Series of phthalate-free plastisol inks transforms the flat ink into an ink capable of producing dramatic 3D effects. Simply add 20-30%% Puff Additive by weight and mix thoroughly.
Suede Additive:
846/847 Printable Adhesive / High Stretch Additive: is a state of the art printable adhesive that provides excellent results and greatly increases adhesion to fabrics when printed last over the entire transfer design. It is ideal for backing puff transfers, tagless labels or for increasing the durability of athletic transfers. 846PF eliminates the need for dry powders. 846PF will give transferred designs a softer hand and excellent elongation when the garment under the design is stretched. 847PF Printable Adhesive is a more opaque version for applications where a higher opacity print is necessary.
504 Mixing Base: Our highly versatile plastisol ink base for direct printing and for cold peel heat transfer printing. This ink has good opacity and a soft hand feel. Ideal for high speed automatics. Also available in a wide range of popular colors (500 Series - Plastisol Ink).
505 Process Base: 505 Process Base: Used to make our 600 Series Four Color Process Inks. To be printed on a light background. Has a very soft hand finish.
507 Softhand Additive: Excalibur's 507PF Soft Hand Extender Base is a balanced additive that is a combination extender, penetrant and flow agent. This additive can be added to any Excalibur Phthalate-Free Plastisol ink to not only extend the ink and soften the hand-feel of the finished print it also reduces the viscosity and improves the flow of the ink thus helping the ink clean completely from the screen mesh. Even though it can be used in any quantity the following precautions should be taken when mixing 507PF into Excalibur plastisols. It is recommended that 507PF be used in combination with the 500PF, 533PF or 550PF Series and only be printed directly onto white or light-colored backgrounds.
551 Mixing Base: We use this plastisol base to produce our 551 ColorPro Pantone Color Matching System. It is a simple and ready for use plastisol ink mixing system.
700 Metallic Base: Add Metallic Powders or Glitter Flakes to this base to produce some very interesting metallic colors. Used for direct printing and cold peel glitter transfers.
Caution:
Care should be taken when adding any modifiers such as reducers, thickeners, low bleed additives etc. to any ink as it can affect film strength, opacity, printability and coverage. Always test finished prints for curing, adhesion and desired look prior to beginning full production runs. Lancer Group International cannot guarantee the results or back claims that the mixed ink will test phthalate-free if any ink other than an ink manufactured by Lancer Group International is modified. Test results by a third-party laboratory verifying all components used to produce this additive are phthalate-free and lead-free are available upon request.