Substrates

• Styrene
• Polycarbonate
• ABS
• Acrylic
• PETG
• PVC

Substrate recommendations are based on commonly available materials intended for the ink's specific market when the inks are processed according to this technical data. While technical information and advice on the use of this product is provided in good faith, the User bears sole responsibility for selecting the appropriate product for their end-use requirements. Reference the 'Quality Statement' at the end of this document.

User Information

Mesh

355-420 tpi (140-165 tpcm) with a mesh opening of 22-38 um monofilament polyester mesh for most applications.

305-355 tpi (120-140 tpcm) with a mesh opening of 50 um or more monofilament polyester can be used for specialty applications (i.e. pearlescents, aluminums, etc.).

Coarser mesh counts and/or twill weave result in heavier ink deposit requiring additional cure output.

Stencil

Use direct emulsions and capillary films which are solvent resistant and UV compatible.

Squeegee

70-90 durometer polyurethane squeegee.

Printing

1500 series ink is formulated to be press ready. Thoroughly mix the ink prior to printing. Improper mixing can lead to inconsistent color and ink performance.

Maintain ink temperature at 65°-90°F (18°-32°C) for optimum print and cure performance. Lower temperatures increase the ink viscosity, impairing flow and increasing film thickness. Elevated temperatures lower the ink viscosity, reducing print definition and film thickness.

Pretest to determine optimum printing parameters for a particular set of ink, substrate, screen, press, and curing variables/conditions.

Nazdar does not recommend inter-mixing of 1500 series ink with other inks besides the 1500 series ink.

Cure Parameters

1500 series ink cures when exposed to a single medium pressure mercury vapor lamp emitting output millijoules (mJ) and milliwatts (mW) of:

175-250 mJ/cm² @ 600+ mW/cm² for most colors

These guidelines are intended only as a starting point for determining cure parameters, which must be determined under actual production conditions. "Undercuring" the ink may result in poor adhesion, lower block resistance, reduced durability, and higher residual odor. "Overcuring" the ink may reduce the flexibility of the printed part and adhesion of subsequent ink layers.

To increase mJ levels, slow down the belt speed or scan speed. To increase mW levels, increase the wattage setting of the UV reactor. To optimize mJ and mW output, maintain the bulb and reflector, and ensure proper focus to the substrate.

These guidelines are representative of measurements taken using an EIT® UVICURE® Plus radiometer measuring the UVA bandwidth (320-390 nm). To obtain accurate mW readings with the UVICURE® Plus, reduce the belt speed to less than 40 ft/min.

Clears / Varnishes

Mixing Clear: Use 1526 Mixing Clear to reduce the density of colors.

Overprint Clear: Use 1527 Overprint Clear to provide added surface protection and increase durability.

Common Performance Additives

The market specific performance properties of the 1500 series ink should be acceptable for most applications without the need for additives. When required, any additives should be thoroughly mixed before each use. Prior to production, test any additive adjustment to the ink. Inks containing additives should not be mixed with other inks.

Example for additives: Ink at 100g with 8% of an additive is calculated as:

100g ink + 8g additive = 108g total

Reducer: Use RE315 UV Reducer to reduce the viscosity of these inks. Add up to10% by weight. Over reduction can reduce print definition, film thickness and adversely affect cure.

Cleanup

Screen Wash (Prior to Reclaim): Use IMS201 Premium Graphic Screen Wash, IMS203 Economy Graphic Screen Wash, or IMS206 Graphic Auto Screen Wash.

Press Wash (On Press): Use IMS301 Premium Graphic Press Wash.

Storage / Shelf Life

Store closed containers at temperatures between 65°-78°F (18°-25°C). Storing products outside of these recommendations may shorten their shelf life. Ink taken from the press should not be returned to the original container; store separately to avoid contaminating unused ink.

Standard 1500 series items supplied 1 gallon (4/5 kilo) containers or smaller are useable for a period of at least 24 months from the date of manufacture. Inks packaged in 5 gallon or greater (20 kilo or greater) containers may have a significantly reduced shelf life. To obtain the official shelf life letter, Contact Nazdar Technical Service at [email protected] or see contact listing at the end of this document.

Processing

1500 series has been formulated to provide a hard ink surface after a two-step curing process. The first process is curing with UV light providing a touchable surface with extreme flexibility required for thermoforming. The second process of exposure to heat during forming produces the

harder, mar resistant surface. If the 1500 series ink is not exposed to high heat after initial curing with UV light, the surface may remain soft.

Stacking: 1500 series ink develops a very flexible elastic ink film after UV light curing. Although surface hardness of the cured ink film has been optimized for handling, the printer must assume responsibility for pre-testing and qualifying the parameters for stacking prints prior to each production run. Block resistance is influenced by the level of cure, the weight or gauge of the substrates and/or the heat and humidity of the printing environment. It is Nazdar's recommendation to individually rack cured prints prior to vacuum or thermal forming.

Do not stack pre-formed prints face-to-face.

Forming: The ink's flexibility and adhesion properties allows for three dimensional thermal or vacuum forming. 1500 series ink can be formed when printed with multiple coats on a first surface or second surface application. The 1500 series ink can be formed under extreme heat (300°-380°F) without cracking, blistering, bleeding or fading.

Heat Bending: When heat bent, only the print area exposed to heat provides the immediate harder surface. Areas not exposed to high heat may retain a soft ink surface and require special handling.

General Information

Ink Handling

Wear gloves and barrier cream to prevent direct skin contact. Safety glasses are suggested in areas where ink may be splashed. If ink does come in contact with skin, wipe ink off with a clean, dry cloth (do not use solvent or reducer). Wash the affected area with soap and water. Consult the applicable Safety Data Sheet (SDS / MSDS) for further instructions and warnings.

This ink series is a one-part, 100% solids UV-curable screen printing ink and does not contain N-vinyl-2-pyrrolidone (trade name V-Pyrol®).

For assistance on a wide range of important regulatory issues, consult the following Regulatory Compliance Department link at www.nazdar.com or contact Nazdar Ink Technologies - World Headquarters (see contact listing at the end of this document).

Adhesion Testing

Even when recommended UV energy output levels are achieved, it is imperative to check the degree of cure on a cooled down print:

1. Touch of ink surface - the ink surface should be smooth.
2. Thumb twist - the ink surface should not mar or smudge.
3. Scratch surface - the ink surface should resist scratching.
4. Cross hatch tape test - per the ASTM D-3359 method, use a cross hatch tool or a sharp knife to cut through ink film only; then apply 3M #600 clear tape on cut area, rub down, and rip off at a 180 degree angle. Ink should only come off in actual cut areas.

Full adhesion characteristics at proper cure levels are demonstrated after forming is complete.

Manufacturer's Product Offering

Based on information from our raw material suppliers, these ink products are formulated to contain less than 0.06% lead. If exact heavy metal content is required, independent lab analysis is recommended.

Standard Printing Colors

Standard Printing Colors have excellent opacity and flow characteristics. These colors are intended to work as supplied.

Pantone Matching System® Base Colors

Pantone Matching System Base Colors are used to simulate the Pantone® Formulation Guide. These inks are press ready, can be used in matches to achieve Pantone color simulations, or let down with mixing clear. ColorStar® Ink Formula Management Software uses Pantone Matching System Base Colors to match Pantone colors. Blend formulations are also available at www.nazdar.com using ColorStar On-Line.

360 Series Colors: 15360-15369 colors are formulated to have no white or opaque pigments. This allows the colors to be more vibrant and allows for a better match of intense and darker colors.

Halftone Colors

Halftone Extender Base is used to reduce the density of any of the halftone colors.

Dense Halftone Colors are formulated with increased densities over the Standard Halftone colors and are designed for printers who want to have the latitude to adjust the density levels.

High Intensity Halftone Black has been developed to function as a dense halftone and line color in a single pass.

Pantone 871c-877c Metallic Simulated Colors

Pantone® 871c to 877c colors have been matched in 1500 series ink using pearlescent pigments. When printed on a white background, a gold or silver metallic effect is achieved. A 305 tpi (120 tpcm) mesh with a mesh opening of 50 um or more is recommended.

Special Effect Pigments

When inks are to be printed with a special effect color, all ink layers must be evaluated for intercoat adhesion before proceeding with the production run. To maximize intercoat adhesion, specialty colors should be printed as late as possible in the print sequence.

Pigments may settle in the container; prior to printing, thoroughly mix the ink.

The following special effect pigments may be added to 1500 series ink. Contact Nazdar for the item number(s) and availability of special effect products. Technical Data Sheets for each of the following special effect pigments can be found at www.nazdar.com.

Metallic Silver (aluminum): Add up to 8% by weight.

Metallic Gold (bronze): Add up to 15% by weight.

Chemical reactions in metallic inks may result in viscosity, color and printability changes over time; due to this, mix only enough metallic ink to be used the same day.

Pearlescent / Interference: Add up to 20% by weight.

Multi-Chromatic: Add up to 10% by weight.

Color Card Materials

The following is a list of available screen printed sample literature representing 1500 Series.

UV Color Card (CARDUV): shows the Standard Printing Colors, Pantone Matching System Base Colors, and Halftone Colors.

Special Effects Color Card (CARDSPL): shows various special effect pigments mixed with clear.

Non-Metallic Pantone Simulations sheet (LIT0121): shows the 871c to 877c Pantone metallic color matches using pearlescent pigments.

Packaging / Availability

Contact your Nazdar distributor for product availability and offering.

Standard Ink Items

Check with your distributor for available container size.

Standard Printing Colors

Pantone Matching System® Base Colors

Halftone Colors

Non-Standard Ink Items

Non-Standard ink items listed below are special order, non-inventoried colors which may require additional lead time. Check with your distributor for available container size.

Printing Colors

Pantone 871c-877c Metallic Simulated Colors

Additives / Reducers