hey guys talk to me, Josh Rickun, about flo pink and TW

[Josh Rickun]

i've been getting conflicting info from too many threads.

1. TW dries up quick, amirightguys? From what I understand I'm supposed to mix it with retarder and pre-wet the screen. Any suggestions on ratios?

2. Is the TW fluorescent pink any more opaque than speedball fabric ink?

[crosshair]

Hi Josh.

TW doesn't 'dry fast'. When morons igniore advice and try to print with it on a dry screen like its speedball, it will dry in and clog their stencils. That is not the same thing as 'drying fast.' That said, of course you need to flood, and work as quickly as you can.

Do not use retarder. I never do, and neither should you. Retarder is for the retarded.
Do wet the screen first, before putting ink on. I buy the TW S34 screen cleaner and dilute 50/50 with water. Others have said you can use 409 or soapy water. I haven't tried so cant comment.

TW sells the Flo pigments dry, and you mix them into clear base. 5500 series clear flat base for me. Might as well get at least a gallon if you plan on using TW at all; quarts make no sense. You can mix them as dense as you want for more intense color, but it's never going to be very opaque. Adding white adds opacity but diminishes brightness. For the brightest Flo pink, mix a ton of the powder pigment into straight base, print it on white paper or a white underbase, and the shit will burn the eyes of the weak.

[Josh Rickun]

awesome dan, this is exactly what im looking for.

[yodhan]

I have used the 409 mixed 20% with water and it works great.

[jesusvbarraza]

i bought some flo powder and mixed a pink for a poster i was printing. it worked great. i think it's better than the stuff tw sells because the pigment dries up in the can after a while. you can store leftover powder with out it drying up.

[Nicholas Wilson]

We print 100% retarder, what does that make us LUTHER?!!?

[Andymac]

all water, all the time. i bought some retarder. still have it. almost 20 years later.

[dellarious]

With regards to pre-wetting the stencil.. should I just spray a few times with a water bottle on the squegee side and then pull the screen on a scrap piece of paper (basically flooding the screen with just water, no ink at first), or should I just spray a few times and start printing with ink as usual? Or is there another technique that you've found works best? Thanks!

[drugfactory]

"Retarder is for the retarded." hahaha

[Andymac]

I spray the water (with a bit of SO34) on a spnge, and then spread it with the sponge on the surface - less blobbing, more control. Print your ink the first time without flooding, over the wet screen. Print off on scrap or newsprint till the image clears up and the ink thickens a bit - 5 or 6 prints depending.

If you find it is drying in during the run, repeat this, with alight scrub in the dried in parts. If it severely dries, then water your ink down. Learn the 'thick flood' technique to keep the screen open and stop caking up of dried ink during the run.