Ink Problems
I am using Pro-Line Ink from Braden Sutphin. It is resin based ink which I have added magnesium powder to stiffen the ink. I am using a C&P Pilot, Boxcar base, and Boxcar photopolymer plates. The paper is 300 lbs. texture stock. The first pass was a light blue image similar to a watermark (which dried for 24 hours). This was a custom mixed using Transparent White to lighten the ink color. The second pass is text in a dark brown partially on top of the watermark.
The problem… the text turns out perfect on the paper where there is no watermark. However, where there is text on the watermark the text bleeds. I can’t add any more magnesium because the ink is almost too stiff as it is.
Does anyone have any solutions? Could the Transparent White be causing the problem? Does the first pass need to dry for a longer period of time?
For an ink problem where only one ink maker’s materials are involved, I would contact the ink maker and ask them. In this case, it would of course be Braden Sutphin. Their website is www.bsink.com
There’s most likely a simple solution which the ink maker is probably going to know best.
What complicates the issue here is that you put magnesium powder in the ink, which I assume you didn’t get from Braden Sutphin. Where did you get the idea of using magnesium powder? If it is not recommended by, or provided by, Braden Sutphin, it will be much harder for them to help you.
Maybe the magnesium powder is retarding the drying somehow, or destroying the ability of the first down ink to remain dry and resist being softened by the second down ink. I would try it without the magnesium powder and see what happens. I think most people print with ink as it comes out of the can.
I doubt if the transparent white is causing the problem because transparent white is just finished ink without any colorant.