Key Features of Matsui Alpha Hybrid Water Base and Discharge Ink: Elevate Your Printing Experience

• Effortless Mixing and Printing: Enjoy a seamless printing process with Matsui Alpha Hybrid Ink. Its easy-to-mix formula ensures a hassle-free experience from start to finish.
• Enhanced Wash Fastness (Optional): Elevate the durability of your prints by adding up to 3% Fixer WF-N. This optional addition enhances wash fastness, ensuring your designs remain vibrant even after multiple washes.
• Versatile Compatibility: Perfectly suited for a range of fabric compositions, including 100% cotton, blends, and polyester garments, Matsui Alpha Hybrid Ink offers exceptional results across various textiles.
• Outstanding Printability: Experience outstanding printability that guarantees consistently impressive results. Your designs come to life with remarkable clarity and precision.
• Unparalleled Softness: Achieve an unprecedented level of comfort with Matsui Alpha Hybrid Ink’s extremely soft hand feel. Elevate your prints from visual appeal to tactile perfection.
• Environmentally Responsible: Trust in Matsui’s commitment to the environment. Alpha Hybrid Ink is PVC-free and environmentally safe, offering both premium prints and peace of mind.
• Creative Freedom with Wet-on-Wet Printing: Unlock your creativity with the ability to print wet on wet. Matsui Alpha Hybrid Ink’s versatile properties allow for layering and quick application, giving you the freedom to explore various printing techniques.

Application and Care:

• Mesh Compatibility: Print through mesh up to 230, ensuring versatility in your designs.
• Curing Guidelines: Cure your prints at 320°F, with a flash at 160°F, to achieve optimal results.
• Storage Precautions: Store your ink between 65°F and 95°F, avoiding direct sunlight to maintain ink integrity.
• Efficient Cleanup: Cleanup is a breeze with water and mild soap, ensuring easy maintenance of your equipment.

Elevate your printing with Matsui Alpha Hybrid Water Base and Discharge Ink. Experience convenience, versatility, and an irresistible soft touch that transforms your prints into tactile masterpieces. Trust in Matsui’s expertise to guide you toward excellence in every print you create.

Special Recommendations

• Mix Alpha Colors in clean vessels with clean mixing blades and utensils to prevent contamination from other sources.
• Utilize Matsui Retarder MG (1-3%) to extend screen open time.
• Improve wash fastness by adding Matsui Fixer WF-N (1-3%).
• Enhance ink penetration into garments with Matsui Softener MG (1-5%).
• Use Matsui Fixer L (1-3%) for low-curing fabrics or electric dryers.
• Use Matsui Quick Additive (6-9%), which includes Retarder, Fixer N, and Softener all in one.

Ink Characteristics:

• Wet Ink Tack: Good
• After Flash Tack: Good
• Printability: Excellent
• Surface Appearance: Matte
• Opacity/Viscosity: Medium/Medium
• Bleed Resistance: None
• Flash Temperature: 160°F (71°C) / Decreases with deposit thickness
• Cure Temperature: 320°F (160°C)
• Underlay: Not Applicable (N/A)
• Emulsion: Direct or Indirect
• Mesh Count: 110-230 mesh count (43-90 mc cm)
• Thinner: RV Additive
• Thickener: Thickener B
• Storage: Maintain between 65°F to 95°F (18°C to 35°C). Avoid direct sunlight.
• Cleanup: Utilize water and mild soap or detergent for easy cleanup.
• Substrate Type: Suitable for Cotton and Cotton Poly blends
• Substrate Color(s): Ideal for Light, Medium, and Dark Fabrics

Ink Appearance and Versatility:Color Range: Various Substrate

Elevate your printing with Matsui Infinity Colors. Experience excellent printability, a matte surface appearance, and a versatile color range that brings your designs to life on various fabric substrates. Trust in Matsui’s expertise to guide you toward premium results in every print you create.

Matsui Alpha Colors Technical Printing Specifications:

Fabric Selection:

• When using Matsui discharge products, keep in mind that they will only discharge 100% cotton fabrics.
• If you’re printing on blends, the discharge effect will only be visible on the cotton threads, while the synthetic fibers will retain their original color giving the print a distressed look.
• Discharge ink’s effectiveness can vary based on shirt brands and batches. Re-dyed shirts may not discharge the first color well. Check with your shirt supplier for recommendations on suitable brands for discharge printing.

Preparing Discharge Inks:

• Mixing: In clean vessels, combine the discharge ink and discharge activator using clean mixing blades and utensils.
• For optimal results, mix 3-8% of Matsui discharge activator to the weight of the ink. Some printers prefer to dissolve the discharge activator in a small amount of water before adding it to the ink. This helps ensure even dispersion throughout the ink, leading to a more consistent and effective discharge process.
• The percentage of discharge activator used will impact the brightness of the white once cured. Higher percentages result in a brighter white, but the softness of the print may be slightly affected.
• Shelf Life: Once activated with Matsui Discharge Activator, the ink has a shelf life of 12 hours. It is recommended to use the ink within this timeframe for optimal performance.

Screen & Mesh Preparation Pro Tip:

• For optimal results, ensure that you use a water-resistant emulsion.
• If you anticipate long print runs or require enhanced durability, consider using a hardener on the emulsion to increase its resistance to breaking down.
• Printing with water-based and discharge inks requires careful consideration of the mesh type to achieve optimal results.  Utilizing thin thread mesh, such as Saati Hydro mesh, is highly recommended for these ink types. Thin thread screens offer a larger open area per inch, creating a more open and less obstructed surface. This larger open area makes it harder for inks to dry and close in on the image area, preventing unwanted clogging or distortion. By selecting a suitable mesh, like Saati Hydro mesh, you can ensure smoother printing, maintain image clarity, and enhance the overall quality of your prints. Invest in the right mesh for your water-based and discharge ink applications to elevate your printing experience.
• After burning your screens, post-expose them in the sun to ensure they are thoroughly dry before starting the printing process. This step will help prevent any potential issues related to excess moisture in the screens during printing.
• To enhance your inks performance, create a mesh lubricant solution by mixing 30% Matsui Softener with 70% water in a bottle. Shake the mixture thoroughly until it is well combined. Before printing, apply this solution on the ink side of the mesh and evenly wipe it over the image area. This acts as a lubricant, providing a similar effect to WD-40 on the mesh threads. The lubricant helps prevent the ink from sticking on the threads of the open area, ensuring your image remains crisp and preventing any unintended closing in of the design. This simple yet effective technique can contribute to smoother printing and improved image quality.

Printing Tips:

• Use additives like softener, retarder, and quick additive to keep the ink open and workable during the print run.
• Less is better on the screen; add a small amount of ink on the press and continually add fresh, hydrated ink during the print run to prevent drying on press.
• Keep a spray bottle nearby to mist the ink when flooded to prevent drying out.
• Avoid having fans or air flow blowing on your screens
• Keep the pallets at or below 140 degrees Fahrenheit during the print run to avoid gumming up the ink in the screen.
• To enhance the performance of discharge ink and keep the ink open for a smoother printing experience, consider using additives such as Matsui Softener, Matsui Retarder, and Matsui Quick Additive. These additives can help improve ink flow and extend the open time on the screen, allowing you to achieve better results during your print run. Experimenting with different additive percentages can fine-tune the ink’s properties to suit your specific printing needs.
• Once you start the printing process, try to avoid extended pauses or stops, as prolonged time in the screen can cause the inks to start drying out. If you need to take a break, it’s advisable to leave your screens flooded with ink. Keeping the screens flooded will help maintain the moisture content and extend the workable printing time, reducing the risk of ink drying out on the screen. This technique ensures smoother printing and minimizes potential disruptions during the production process.

Curing Tips:

• Curing water-based discharge ink indeed demands more time and attention compared to standard plastisol ink. For optimal results, we recommend running your conveyor dryer at 320 degrees Fahrenheit (160 degrees Celsius) and leaving the printed garment inside for a full two minutes. This extended curing time is essential to evaporate all the water content from the ink in the tunnel, ensuring an even and consistent print.
• If the print appears darker in certain areas than others, it indicates that the garment hasn’t been fully cured, and additional time is required for proper curing. Achieving a thorough and uniform cure is crucial to obtaining vibrant and long-lasting prints.
• Discharge ink emits strong fumes during the curing process, so proper ventilation is advised to dissipate the odor. Ensuring a well-ventilated environment not only improves the working conditions but also enhances overall print quality. By following these guidelines, you can achieve outstanding results with water-based discharge ink printing while maintaining safety and quality standards.
  • To prevent discharge gas transfer, avoid stacking shirts hot right out of the dryer. Use a cooling bar or fan at the end of the conveyor dryer, or make multiple shirt stacks to allow them time to cool down.

Important Note: It is the Printer’s Responsibility to Thoroughly Test Alpha Series Ink on Garments for Proper Curing and Desired Results. Kolormatrix and Affiliated Partners Cannot Be Held Liable for Product Misuse or Misprints. Please be Aware that Pantone Mixing Formulas in the Book Aim to Match Desired Pantone Colors Closely; Minor Ink Adjustments May be Required for Exact Color Match. Discharge Inks’ Colors Might Shift Upon Complete Curing, So Color in the Bucket May Differ from the Final Printed and Cured Ink